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A controversy has erupted after Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy wrote to Home Minister G. Parameshwara seeking a waiver of traffic fines imposed on state-run transport corporations, including KSRTC and BMTC. The request comes at a time when ordinary motorists are being compelled to clear their dues, often through discounted drives.
Also read: Bengaluru offers 50% rebate on pending traffic fines until September 12
According to official data, KSRTC buses alone have racked up fines worth over ₹13 crore across 2.69 lakh cases since 2018. With the government’s 50% discount scheme, the corporation could have settled the dues for around ₹6.64 crore. However, not a single rupee has been paid so far. The minister’s letter cites reasons such as erroneous CCTV recordings and cases where buses were wrongly accused of overspeeding—particularly while moving downhill.
Examples highlight the scale of penalties: bus number KA06F1243 has fines of ₹19,500, KA42F2218 owes ₹9,000, and KA09F5148 about ₹6,700. With nearly 24,000 buses statewide, officials estimate that 90% of KSRTC’s fleet carries dues exceeding ₹10,000 each.
Fines not limited to KSRTC
The issue is not limited to KSRTC. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), which operates around 6,000 buses, has over 16,000 pending traffic cases, with half the fleet reportedly carrying fines above ₹3,000 each. Signal violations and lane indiscipline form a bulk of these cases.
The letter has sparked criticism over double standards in enforcement. While ordinary citizens were pushed to clear ₹106 crore in fines through a 50% discount scheme, government institutions appear to be seeking exemptions instead of accountability. Critics question why the state insists on strict compliance from the public while overlooking its own departments’ violations.
The Home Department is yet to respond to the Transport Minister’s appeal. Meanwhile, the debate over whether government institutions should be held to the same standards as the public continues to intensify.
