Preeja Prasad By Express News Service BENGALURU: With the new traffic fines in place now, the Transport Department has seen a 15-20 percent increase in driving license (DL) registrations. Since August 15, there have been over 1.60 lakh DL registrations across the state. “In 15 days, we received over 1.09 lakh DL registrations in the state, and the number of applications for pollution certificates has also increased. People are starting to realise that it is better to keep a hold of documents rather than pay hefty fines,” said a senior department official to The New Indian Express. The number of registrations are expected to remain high for the next month. Officials also said that the new fines have increased the work burden for RTO officers, who are busy getting the DLs to the citizens at the earliest. “We have the capacity to print 1.15 lakh smart cards in a month, but the applications are increasing, with more than 20,000 applications in 15 days in Bengaluru itself,” said Shivraj Patil, Additional Commissioner for Transport (E-governance and Enforcement). “Now we are printing 1.68 lakh cards and there is a 25 per cent increment going to the department due to this. Our goal is to meet the demand and ensure that nothing is pending,” Patil told TNIE. When asked about RTO officers collecting increased commissions from applicants in order to get the documents ready early, Patil said that there are, in fact, officers taking advantage of such emergencies, but that they do not entertain them. “We have officers who are coping with the pressure. We are taking in more inventory of cards and have some buffer stock as well,” he said, adding that there is no question of taking bribes. Under the amended rules, violation of PUC norms attracts a penalty of Rs 10,000 - Rs 2,000 without insurance and Rs 5,000 for without DL.

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