Traffic cop with latest portable credit card machine

Mumbai: A long standing request of commuters in Mumbai was addressed yesterday, when authorities announced that traffic cops at vital signals would be equipped with Credit Card machines. This move is expected to ensure uniformity in terms of petty bribe amounts doled out for petty offenses which are difficult to quantify, like driving in the wrong lane, talking on mobile phone while driving, usage of wrong gear on a slope, playing himesh too loud etc.

“We have seen that fewer people are carrying cash now a days. This has affected collections at signals, which are a major part of our earnings. Many a time, the culprits claim that all they have is loose change”, said a top official, speaking on conditions of anonymity. “This machine which will accept Master, Visa & AMEX will ensure that the right amount can be collected by the constable. ”

“I have been caught thrice in the last 2 weeks for driving in the wrong lane, couple of times I had to pay a higher amount as I had no change. This move will atleast ensure that my civil rights are protected”, said Vivek, a repeat traffic offender. Constables will be taken through a basic training course in the machine operations. Utopia has learnt that many major banks are also thinking of offering higher rewards on credit card spends at the traffic signals.

“In the future, we may also offer redemption of points against petty offenses. For eg, overtaking from the right may be overlooked against 250 points & 500 points may get you a one time only ‘Jump the Signal’ card.  Who knows, in a few years it may be possible to pay for the colouring book or newspaper at the traffic signal using your card”, adds our source. Law enforcement officials across the world are looking at this unique experiment for learnings & possibility of adapting the idea to their countries.

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