Daylight Extortion By The Traffice Police

[rangerover]

This is something i experienced today at the Senanayake traffic lights on baseline road. I was travelling from borella towards narehanpita. At the junction when the lights turned red, a cop asked all traffice to continue to move without stopping. After about 25 vehicles were allowed, he stopped the rest of the traffic. However, these 25 vehicles which were allowed to go through were stopped few yards away for running the traffice lights. There was strong resentment from all motorists for this grossly unfair charge. However ignoring these protests, the bunch of cops there continued to issue tickets stating that "we r just doing a job, we were asked to collect XXX number of fines today". On my return from my trip i found another bunch vehicles stopped in this fashion and similar strong protests by the motorists. This is a gross negligance of basic human rights of motorists and a terrible misuse of power by the polict authority in broad daylight.

I wish there was a proper system to escalate such issues to higher authorities of the governemnt, as these issues, if ignored could lead to worse misuse of authority by the traffic police.

Edited November 28, 2010 by rangerover

[MeanGreenZ28]

what the heck? that's just ridiculous!

[Gayan Weerakoon]

Sri lankan traffic cops are the biggest pigs on the planet.

[hakjay]

This is something i experienced today at the Senanayake traffic lights on baseline road. I was travelling from borella towards narehanpita. At the junction when the lights turned red, a cop asked all traffice to continue to move without stopping. After above 25 vehicles were allowed, he stopped the rest of the traffic. However, these 25 vehicles which were allowed to go through were stopped few yards away for running the traffice lights. There was strong resentment from all motorists for this grossly unfair charge. However ignoring these protests, the bunch of cops there continued to issue tickets stating that "we r just doing a job, we were asked to collect XXX number of fines today". On my return from my trip i found another bunch vehicles stopped in this fashion and similar strong protests by the motorists. This is a gross negligance of basic human rights of motorists and a terrible misuse of power by the polict authority in broad daylight.

I wish there was a proper system to escalate such issues to higher authorities of the governemnt, as these issues, if ignored could lead to worse misuse of authority by the traffic police.

Unbeliveable. The drivers will not keep shut on this. They can file action and contest in courts. I would fight it out. How much is the fine now? Very frustrating!!! Did anyone report it to the papers. 25 is a large number.

[isurujosh]

i won't believe this!

[SeanD]

Someone should have videod the idiot who was allowing the cars to go through the red light...and I'm sure not all 25 of those guys would just sit there and take it...I'm sure there will be some repercussion.

[Rohnd]

"issue tickets stating that "we r just doing a job, we were asked to collect XXX number of fines today".

Collecting money in this nature was not in the Budget.

Is it for the Government or Corps private pleasure.??

[VVTi]

I seriously doubt this happened... 25 motorist being copped at the same time would have equaled a riot... thats 25 witnesses to a gross miscarriage of justice.

No way!

Cops are bad in SL and most of them are stupid... but this cant be true, even by our standards.

Did you count 25 cars? I doubt that parking of 25 cars on the side of the road between Senanayake Junction and Raymond junction would have created a massive traffic snarl s as well.

Sorry mate... but I think you are just bored and wanted to create an 'interesting' thread...

If you can tell the time it happened, we can call the OIC in Borella and ask him for clarification.

[rangerover]

to be honest, i couldn't believe my self writing this topic. I do know that they are a corrupt bunch. But something like this i never expected to experience. Hopefully this thing will be reported to the media. Because there were some angry motorists there. I couldnt stay for long as i was in a rush.

I mean not as if these cops were rude, they were a very young bunch may be doing something forcefully, knowing full well that it was wrong

[rangerover]

I seriously doubt this happened... 25 motorist being copped at the same time would have equaled a riot... thats 25 witnesses to a gross miscarriage of justice.

No way!

Cops are bad in SL and most of them are stupid... but this cant be true, even by our standards.

Did you count 25 cars? I doubt that parking of 25 cars on the side of the road between Senanayake Junction and Raymond junction would have created a massive traffic snarl s as well.

Sorry mate... but I think you are just bored and wanted to create an 'interesting' thread...

If you can tell the time it happened, we can call the OIC in Borella and ask him for clarification.

As much as i would have liked to create an interesting thread given the rise in "how much will car prices go up?" threads we have seen recently, believe me this is true, i felt wierd writing something like this, but trust me it did happen. Im going to pay my fine tomorrow in pettah. It happened between 10.30 and 11.00am.

And no! i did not get off my car and start counting the vehicles. . Its a gross figure im giving. As stupid as it sounds, it happened. But if you think u can get a clarification on this from the OIC,by all means you should. can provide you even with the specifics

Edited November 28, 2010 by rangerover

[Eurofan]

whoa!!!! did you get caught for this racket as well??? My dad was pissed off about this the whole day. I thought he was exaggerating. Now I see its true. He had gone pass at around 11.30am

Suba Anagathayak!!!!!!

[Watchman]

2 cops 25 cars?

If i was car 25 i would maybe try slowly slide into traffic and go off while the cops are writing down the others....

surprising how out of 25 ppl no-one threw a fit at this..

Edited November 28, 2010 by Watchman

[Clark's son]

U'r lucky

Because they didn't charge parking fines after After stoping near the junction

[SeanD]

to be honest, i couldn't believe my self writing this topic. I do know that they are a corrupt bunch. But something like this i never expected to experience. Hopefully this thing will be reported to the media. Because there were some angry motorists there. I couldnt stay for long as i was in a rush.

I mean not as if these cops were rude, they were a very young bunch may be doing something forcefully, knowing full well that it was wrong

Well if you also got caught, why just sit down and take it? If had a cam phone could've taken a photo of the 25 cars. At least you have the cops registration number, posting this on the forum is not going to lead to the culprits being punished...you should get your license back (photocopy the spot fine sheet first) and then pursue action through a lawyer.

[isurujosh]

rangerover, don't let it go off the record. try to do something about it within your capacity.

[Eurofan]

2 cops 25 cars?

If i was car 25 i would maybe try slowly slide into traffic and go off while the cops are writing down the others....

surprising how out of 25 ppl no-one threw a fit at this..

According to my dad, there had been around 6 cops who jumped in to the middle and stopped the cars. He was saying about 12 cars. May be rangerover was in that bunch as well. At such a time 12 can look like 25!!! double vision due to sheer surprise

[harshansenadhir]

This should be escalated to IGP and at the same time all who got copped should avoid taking a spot fine ticket (if you do so, you can't challenge it in the courts) wait till they file the case and defend it. With the number of witnesses the group has this should be a piece of cake for an experienced traffic lawyer. However, I understand there's a bit of time wasting here but someone has to protest this as it's a sign of bad, indeed very bad system around the corner. As motorists we are abide to follow orders of a traffic cop, so if he asks to proceed/continue to drive, we have to, unless otherwise it's heading to a collision. This is the email address published to send complains across. Make sure it goes with the proper timing of the incident, location, from which police station they were and were there rankers/officers or just cops and the names. Officers should have the name tag and cops should have the numbers.

[email protected]

[MkX]

Similar thing happened in one of the Charley Chaplins movie. That his son or some kid damadge the all windows in the street and Chaplins goes reparing windows after 10 minutes.

[SeanD]

Similar thing happened in one of the Charley Chaplins movie. That his son or some kid damadge the all windows in the street and Chaplins goes reparing windows after 10 minutes.

Huh?

Anyway, don't waste time with the "telligp" e-mail as it is complete BS (three different e-mails sent by me on various matters haven't got a peep out of them), but try and meet with him (he apparently meets the public on Fridays)or pull all the strings possible...think it's too late to not accept the spot fine ticket as all those who were there must've already done so...but write down the registration of the prosecuting officer and then photocopy the sheet before paying the fine (do whatever action after that).

[rangerover]

I unfortunately got a spot fine. But i did write down the number of the cops badge. I will be sending an email and a hand delivered letter if possible to the IGP including the copy of the fine sheet. Unless few others who faced this does the same i doubt it would have any impact. But now i will always have my phone ready every time a cop asks me to move when the lights are red.