Traffic police have realised nearly Tk 430 million in fines from different vehicles for violation of traffic rules during a special drive in the capital, an official said.
The Traffic Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) fined the vehicles by carrying out the drive from mid-August to December 16.
Apart from realising the fines, as many as 116,895 cases have been filed against different types of vehicles for breaching traffic rules.
Besides this, 8,582 vehicles have been dumped while action has been against 149,479 battery-run rickshaws during the period.
Action has also been taken against 8,858 vehicles for polluting environment and honking horn.
Deputy Police Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) of DMP Muhammad Talebur Rahman told the FE that it is not possible for traffic police to control traffic jams in the capital without public cooperation.
He said that they (DMP Traffic) were relentlessly working to bring back discipline on the city streets.
He blamed that many pedestrians don't know traffic rules, resulting in creating traffic jams, and sometimes unwanted incidents take place.
He said that three things - Traffic Engineering, Traffic Education and Traffic Enforcement - are important for controlling traffic jams and restoring discipline on the city roads.
DMP traffic police is enforcing traffic rules. But others - traffic engineering and traffic education - are not directly related to traffic police, he adds.
Mr Rahman also said that they have deployed 291 students to assist the traffic police for ensuring smooth traffic on the roads.
"The students are working with the traffic police as traffic assistants, and they get remuneration for their part-time work."
He further said that their ongoing drive will continue to give a respite to the city dwellers.
When asked when the cat-and-mouse game between the authorities and hawkers would end, given the alleged collusion between some officials and the hawkers, he said, "We (DMP Traffic) are conducting regular operations against hawkers and vehicles that used to occupy the roads."
Earlier, DMP Traffic Division and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) seized around 500 vehicles by conducted an operation against hawkers' rickshaw vans at Shaheed Matiur Park in Gulistan area recently.
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