TRAFFIC RULES YOU MUST KNOW

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TRAFFIC COPS CAN NOT TAKE YOU FOR A RIDE IF YOU KNOW IT

A mail from ACP Praveen Soon is doing the rounds on social media and internet but is partially correct. You ought to know what is right in the message and what is not.


The "Mail from ACP Praveen Sood" hoax

July 2010.
What is this hoax about?

The mail claims that the traffic police cannot take certain actions if you are caught without a PUC certificate and vehicle insurance. It also claims to tell you your rights. 

SPTM has verified from reliable sources that:

The information in the mail is only partially correct, and Shri Praveen Sood is not ACP-Traffic Mumbai but holds the post at Bangalore.

As such, please do not forward this mail to your friends. Instead, please direct them to the SPTM site (www.savepunetraffic.org).

What is claimed in the mail?

No policeman can slap a penalty on you just because you have no insurance or emission certificate.

If you have not purchased insurance cover for your vehicle, then the police officer must issue a notice, not impose penalty. 

You must be given 15 days' time to purchase insurance cover and one week for obtaining the emission certificate.

What is the truth?
SPTM has discussed and verified the following with DCP-Traffic, Pune.

Traffic police can slap a penalty on you if you do not have the PUC certificate or insurance cover required by the law.

However, they have the following instructions from DCP-Traffic:

Do not stop drivers and check their papers unless you spot a traffic violation. Do not stop drivers only to check papers.

If the driver fails to show the papers, but claims that s/he has those but they are at home, s/he should be allowed 15 days' time to present the papers.

Please understand clearly that these 15 days are not for purchasing insurance cover and obtaining the emission certificate, but merely for showing the papers to the police. These and other applicable papers must be valid on the day the driver was asked to show them.

The message that is doing the rounds is as follows

Here is the complete text of the mail, just for information:
Subject: Notice from Praveen Sood (Additional Commissioner for Traffic, Mumbai) - 022 - 22942276.

Dear All,

Please forward this mail as many as you can..do your bit for to help the ignorant. Take a printout of this and keep it in your car's glove compartment. May come handy... Not knowing this may leave a big hole in your pocket. Information you should have: If you are getting caught quite often by traffic police, then please read on.

From now onwards, the Traffic Police cannot catch a motorist just to examine the driving license or vehicle documents. They can catch you only if you have violated any traffic laws or if you are driving drunk. Remember that when caught for traffic violation, the fine you pay must be limited to the violation. In other words, the police can't bloat the bill saying that you have no insurance cover or emission certificate, etc.

Many motorists do not know this. According to the law, no policeman can slap a penalty on you just because you have no insurance or emission certificate.

If you have not purchased insurance cover for your vehicle, then the police officer must issue a notice, not impose penalty. You must be given 15 days' time to purchase insurance cover and one week for obtaining the emission certificate.

15 Days later, meet the sub-inspector at his station with the insurance cover or emission certificate, so that he will annul the charge at once. Police can fine you only if you fail to produce these documents within the stipulated period. If your vehicle is brand new, then you need not bother about obtaining the emission certificate for one full year.

In response to a question as to why policemen fine people instantly without giving them time to obtain insurance cover or emission certificate, Additional Commissioner for Traffic Praveen Sood said, "Yes, it is a mistake. People must force policemen to issue notice or complain to me at least the following day.

The best way to teach the police a lesson is by filing a written complaint with their higher officials and, a week later, using the Right to Information Act (RTI) to know the action taken against them. Remember, any question or application filed under RTI cannot be ignored and no official is bold enough to ignore the RTI Act.

Praveen Sood
(Additional Commissioner for Traffic, Mumbai)
022 - 22942276