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20,000/- motorists fine is peanuts
2006-11-04 09:05:43
By Gerald Kitabu
The 20,000/- fine imposed on reckless drivers is too small compared with the value of a dead person.
”The penalty imposed is outdated and a joke. It only encourages the violation of traffic rules,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Mselem Mtulia told The Guardian yesterday.
In an exclusive interview, he said the fine should be raised to at least 500,000/- per offence.
”Traffic offenders are on the rise. Things are getting worse,” he said.
According to the traffic chief, such a negligible punishment fueled corruption because it was easy for a violator to part with 20,000/- and walk scot-free.
”There are numerous cases involving reckless drivers. Some are caught today but you will see them driving on the next day, even when the driver has killed a person. This is unfair,” he said.
ASP Mtulia said the Road Traffic Act clearly stipulated how traffic rules should be implemented ”but the problem lies with the implementers themselves. They are ignorant of the law.”
He added that some traffic officers, commuter drivers, and car owners were ignorant of the law. ”Had they been educated, they would have averted many unnecessary accidents.”
”The application of traffic laws is not for the police alone. Other partners such as Sumatra and insurance companies should also play their role,” he said.
The Guardian also interviewed a number of traffic officers who opted for anonymity but said: ”The current traffic laws are obsolete. They give room to laxity,’’ said a traffic officer.
”The government should review the law,” the officer said.
Commuter drivers drive recklessly and ignore the traffic police posted along the road, simply because they can afford paying the fine,” said retired police officer, Nassor Uhadi.
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