Jayanagar Affected by Traffic Violations

The number of drivers caught without their licenses while driving has increased over the past few years.

By Hansy Sanctis

Bangalore, March 12, 2019.

On average, the number of drivers without licenses in Jayanagar (Bangalore) has gone up by about 70 per cent per month upon comparing the rates with 2018 statistics.  The violators registered in 2016 were 3,264 individuals, and in 2017, 1,453 people were found driving without a license. In 2018, the numbers till July have reached 1,439. The statistics mentioned have crossed 2017’s entire figure in 2018, escalating at a very high rate.

The law for driving without a license illegally falls under Section 75. According to Section 75, no individual is allowed to drive any sort of a vehicle if he/she/they don’t have an active, existing driver’s license, and is also not allowed to drive any kind of a vehicle, not even a public transport one, if he/she/they are not eligible because of their age or their driving skills.

The conditions subject to this portion of the law shall not apply to a person receiving instruction in driving a motor vehicle. The motor vehicular law says that the first offence carries a fine of up to Rs. 5,000 (but not less than Rs. 2,000) or imprisonment for up to three months, or both. Subsequent offence is a fine up to Rs. 10,000 (not less than Rs. 5,000) or imprisonment for up to one year or both. There are also fines up to Rs 2,000 and Rs.1,000 per tonne of the extra load.

Vijay Chandan Patel, an employee for ITC, is a resident of Jayanagar. His apartment is situated near one of the entrances of the metro station, not far from the playground right outside it. He conveyed how it was easier to commute by metro than roads in Bangalore as a resident of Jayanagar because obstacles like frequent road accidents and poorly managed traffic are some of the few factors which increase the risk factors for personal transport users.

Inspector Dilip Kumar from the Jayanagar Police Station mentioned how they were on the lookout for reducing the number of cases overall. Emphasizing on the efforts from his police station, he said, “It is being looked into and taken care of. The number of cases that have been filed could also indicate how the police have been identifying and arresting the individuals who have been breaking the law.”

Harish VS, a real estate consultant who resides in Banashankari, uses the road to and from Jayanagar every day to commute to work. He says, “People driving without licenses are everywhere, not only in Jayanagar. It is a place with a lot of crowd, a lot of people parking their vehicles on the footpath, youngsters driving without licenses but definitely, there are traffic violations that take place, all the time, every single day.”