Corruption a way of life for traffic police, shows website

MUMBAI: Every government office is a den of corruption but it is on the roads that people end up paying bribes most often, as everything is loaded in favour of the traffic police. Few motorists know the legal provisions and others simply want to save the hassle of following up on the case in court. Posts on the website of non-profit outfit Janaagraha, ipaidabribe.com, speak volumes about how bribing has become a way of life on the roads.
“A bribe is never demanded directly by the traffic cops; there are hints thrown in and the motorist then has to haggle over the sum,” Jagdeep Desai, architect and member of Forum for Improving Quality of Life in Suburbs, said.
Desai recalled an incident where a traffic police officer asked him to halt after he had unknowingly jumped a signal.
“He refused to hand me a challan and simply got into my vehicle, insisting that I drive down to the chowky,” Desai said. “I was taken aback. He made a few inquiries and asked me where I worked before eventually letting me off with a warning.”
Earlier this month, a biker took to Facebook to complain about harassment by a traffic constable, Maruti Chakor, resulting in his suspension. The constable had stopped the biker, Isaac Anthony, at Mazgaon and demanded a bribe. When Anthony refused, Chakor made him wait for hours at the chowky. Anthony was let off when he decided to speak to the police commissioner.
“This is exactly how citizens who refuse to pay bribes are punished,” Sanjay Ahuja, a member of the Responsible Road Users’ Club (RRUC), said. “I was made to wait for an entire day at the traffic outpost to retrieve my documents.”
All RRUC members have sworn never to pay bribes.
“The senior inspectors at every chowky have had to pay a hefty sum in order to procure that posting,” Sameer Buddha of the RRUC said. “Their aim thereon is to recover that money from motorists.”