Over to you DIG Traffic Police

I was given a spot fine by PC48703/48203 of Yatiyantota Police Station.

The specific particulars and details are as follows.

1. Date: 07.08.08.

2. Day: Poya Day.

3. Time: 10.50 a.m.

4. Place: Main Bridge before the Pola premises.

5. Offence: Crossing the single continuing white line of the road on the bridge deck.

6. Offence in the fine sheet: 23-5 Rules of Road. Improper overtaking.

7. Actual offence: Overtaking a pedal cyclist who was riding three feet from the kerb to the center of the road.

a) Will this police officer drive a vehicle behind a pedal cycle, if he was driving in this place?

b)Why did he not charge the cyclist for obstructing other traffic?

c) Can a Police officer nab drivers on his own without any evidence?

d) When a Police officer stops a vehicle for any traffic offence, what other checks he has to carry out under the rules of law?

Did this officer check the ownership of the vehicle, and the authority had to drive that vehicle?

Did he check the ownership of the vehicle by checking the registration certificate? How if this vehicle was robbed?

Did he check the revenue licence and the insurance certificate?

Did he check the interior of the vehicle for any dangerous material, like arms ammunition, explosives and illegal materials like dead bodies etc.?

e) I under oath inform that this officer never ever checked any of these as per provision of the rules of law and this in the present context.

f) Does this officer know any of these regulations and if not how come such people are in Police Force?

g) The road width at this point is only 23 feet, and the lane width is only 11.5 feet. If any other object is 3 feet to the center of the road, how can any other vehicle go beyond that place?

Does the police say that the vehicle at the rear has to stop and wait till the obstruction is cleared?

It is true under the law you are not permitted to cross the white line and proceed.

But when the lane is far too small what is the option under the discretion?

h) Please be kind enough to find out how many other drivers was charged on this particular date.

If only this particular case was and if there are no other offenders nabbed, then I say that this officer was only concerned of some other object.

His stock answer was that heavy accidents are occurring due to breaking of the law. If only one offender was nabbed then where is his concern for reducing heavy rate of accidents.

i) Just as I was being issued with temporary licence there was a passenger bus not overtaking crossing this line, but just proceeding by crossing the said single line.

I have seen in many of errands that buses and lorries are normally driving this place with the wheel on both sides of the white line. Why don’t the Police keep a permanent officer and nab all of these drivers for breaking the law.

j) Does this law only for overtaking and not for normal driving by crossing the line?

k) Why didn’t this officer carry the spot fine sheets with him?

l) As per my information, the term spot fine is to issue the sheet at the spot. Also under the normal rules of langauge, if it is a spot fine, then the officer has to collect the fine himself. Leave alone this reality, he did not carry the forms but only the temporary licence forms. The officer at the station who issued the form commented as to why this officer does not carry the forms.

m) Now I say this particular officer was not concerned of heavy accidents but was trying to help to have a heavy pocket.

How come that this type of illegal activities are permitted to be done under the guise of law and under the uniform.

If this man in Police uniform can perform all actions against the law, then why can’t we do a small offence when we are against all odds.

I wish to say that not only the law has to be implemented, but also has to be seen that it is being implemented in a rightful manner. If this particular person is so concerned of the high accident rate then he should be stationed on the road 24hours a day.

The Government has to see that the law is implemented in a more reasonable manner, and not at the whims and fancies of one particular officer, and for his need of making his pocket heavy.

This particular officer was most arrogant and indicated that he is the only officer who is trying to implement the law.

He got angry when I did not put some notes to his pocket but preferred to get the spot fine.

W. P. H. J. JAYAWICKREMA