Driving on Indian roads already gets scary, there’s the constant honking and you wouldn’t know who’s coming from where, it’s always a surprise. It’s usually more chaotic than driving in GTA: Vice City (we know what happens there). But, then there’s the challan or the fear of it, which somewhat moderates the chaos.
I know I’d admit to crimes (in front of the traffic police), if they even just ask me to park the vehicle aside. The fear is real. But, a two-wheeler driver in Kerala is more confused about the offence that he ‘supposedly’ committed. Basil Syam, who resides in Kerala shared a picture of his challan after he was stopped by a traffic policeman for driving in the wrong direction on a one-way street. He paid the fine of ₹250 for the offence, given that he was the one at mistake.
But, here’s the catch – Syam checked the receipt that was generated, after reaching his workplace and realized that the e-challan was issued for ‘driving without sufficient fuel’. After asking around he found out that there is no such offence. He was later told by the Motor Vehicle Department that the offence very much existed, but not for private vehicles (according to Kerala transport law). It feels like such a Hindi movie plot, only less dramatic.
It is only a typing error by the officers who wrote the section. Apart from that, my bike didn’t run out of petrol while I was on the way, and no policeman has fined me for that.
– Basil Syam
Quite the confusion.