Police swoop on vehicle owners to fatten fines

Motorised vehicle owners in the capital fall prey to illegal payment of at least Tk 0.13 million a day while clearing fines for traffic rule violations, owners and drivers alleged.

Unscrupulous agents of digital payment platform -UCash takes away such unauthorised amount in the name of service charges.

Since pressure is built up on traffic police personnel to file more cases and mobilise more revenue for the department, the filing of cases has enhanced remarkably in recent times.

Correspondent discovered such a malpractice while observing the case filing and the resultant fine collection procedures in the capital over the last two weeks.

However, there is an allegation that the unauthorised charges are being shared with a vested quarter, including the traffic police.

The traffic police deny the allegation.

The traffic department at Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) penalises vehicle owners in various amounts for breaching the traffic rules giving a maximum 20 days for depositing the fines through the UCash digital payment.

But the UCash agents were found to take Tk 15 to Tk 35 extra depending on the nature of violations from each of the errant riders.

Traffic officials, on an average, file some 6,500 cases a day in the city.

If one calculates Tk 20 in additional payment from each of the vehicle owner, the daily unauthorised transaction will be Tk 130,000 (Tk 0.13 million).

The monthly and yearly figure will be Tk 3.9 million and Tk 46.8 million respectively.

Talking to the FE, Saiful Islam, who came to deposit fine of Tk 400 at the office of deputy commissioner of traffic (DMP South) in Shantinagar, said he paid Tk 430 to an UCash agent there.

But he got a text message of Tk 415 from the UCash, he said.

"It has become a norm now and it happens in traffic police offices. If we protest, agents refuse to accept the fine but we've to clear it to get back necessary documents," he said.

Against this backdrop, he suggested the traffic department allow other digital payment options available in the market, which could stop the monopoly service.

When this correspondent approached the UCash agent located close to the Karnaphuli Garden City, he said they do not take anything illegally from the transport owners, except for service charges.

About the charges, the agent, who identified himself as Khokon, said they take Tk 30 for fines less than Tk 1,000 cases, but Tk 50 when the penalty amount goes beyond Tk 1,000.

"UCash is charging Tk 15 and the remaining portions are our service charge," he claimed.

Several UCash agents in Shantinagar, Mohammadpur, Sayedabad and Mirpur echoed the same.

When contacted, a senior UCash official said they have been receiving such complaints in recent days and taking actions against the unscrupulous agents.

Preferring anonymity, he said the official charge of the UCash service is Tk 15 that includes the service charge of the agents. "The service charge (Tk 15) is same whatever the fine amount is," he said.

The official called upon the people to open a UCash account and pay the fine when they will be charged Tk 10 instead of Tk 15.

According to the official data, the average monthly fine collection rose to over Tk 80 million, pushing up the monthly figure of Tk 30 million in 2018.

According to the national budget for financial year 2019-2020, the fine collection (Tk 432 million) is the second-largest revenue earning area for the police department after the UN peacekeeping service charge.

Talking to the FE, several traffic sergeants said there is mounting pressure on them filing more traffic rules violation cases.

"I normally file eight cases a day but my higher authority instructs me to further increase the number. So, I have to follow the order," he said.

When asked about the commission for filing cases, he replied in the negative, saying that they do not get any commission for filing cases. "This is the perception of many people but it has no basis," he added.

DMP additional police commissioner (Traffic) Mofiz Uddin Ahmed said they have warned several UCash agents against taking additional charges from the vehicle owners.

He said the number of cases increases because they have strictly been applying the motor vehicle law with the newly-recruited traffic officials.

"There is no pressure from us on the traffic sergeants. If anyone violates traffic rules should be fined. That's it. We deposit the money with the public exchequer," he said.