Offenders being fleeced right under DMP's nose

Two youths are overcharging traffic violators right under the nose of Traffic West Division taking advantage of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's (DMP) newly introduced fine payment system, which some say is proving troublesome instead of easing sufferings.

Earlier, offenders just paid the fine and collected his/her papers seized during the ticketing at the division, covering areas from the Sonargaon hotel to Gabtoli. However, this took up quite some time as the division issues some 500 tickets every day.

To ease the process, the new system was launched where lawbreakers pay the fine through UCash, a mobile financial service of United Commercial Bank Limited (UCBL), which charges Tk 11.5 for the service.

However, Tk 20 was being charged by the youths, Bilash and Mohidur, who just last week had been offering the payment service from a room on the division's premises they said to have had rented for Tk 5,000 per month.

Admitting to this correspondent that they were not UCash agents, the youths till Saturday were offer the services on the footpath right opposite the division.

Once registered with UCash, anyone can transfer money, limited to Tk 25,000 per day through five transactions.

The rented room had a glass in front with the words “UCash Booth” written in red. UCash Customer Care Officer Sylvia Afrin said UCBL did not set up the booth.

The receipt the duo were offering read “UCash Booth Center: West Traffic Office” and contains a cellphone number, 01747197032. Sylvia confirmed that Bangladesh Bank blocked transactions through the number for not containing updated information.

Bilash, apparently trying to justify the overcharging, claimed that many UCash agents were charging between Tk 35 and Tk 50. Sylvia said UCash agents get no commission for collecting fines and that there was no scope to charge over Tk 11.5. 

Sergeant Razzakul Haider, prosecution-in-charge at the division, claimed that law enforcers did not have any connection with the youths.

“Perhaps the extra Tk 8.5 being charged is needed to pay remuneration to those employed in the room,” he said.

DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah expressed his surprise after learning about the matter from this correspondent. “The transaction charge can never exceed Tk 11.5,” he said, assuring to look into the matter.

Another aspect of the DMP fine payment system is that the papers are sent to the home address of the traffic violators and cannot be collected in person from the division. For this, Sundarban Courier Service charges Tk 20.

But the trouble starts when offenders fail to trace the papers long after the fine has been paid.

Take the case of Mohammad Badal, who was fined mid-August for not using a seatbelt. He paid the fine on August 24, six days ahead of the deadline, and since then visited the division four times in vain to get back his car's tax token.

The last time, on September 15, he spent three hours there since 9:30am. All he was shown was a number of the courier service pasted on a wall and suggested contacting it.

Like him, Jebunnesa Siddika, in her 50s, has been running between offices of the courier service and the division. She was fined for not having renewed her car's fitness certificate.

“It has been a week and still they could not confirm when I would get my papers back,” said Jebunnesa.

Reasons for such delays include wrong or incomplete home addresses and cellphone numbers, said the courier service's assistant general manager, Anisur Rahman.

“Often, the papers are handed over to us a couple of days after the fine has been paid,” he added.