Law and Order officers, too, can now book you for traffic offence

To strengthen its efforts to enforce road rules more stringently, Tamil Nadu government has issued an order allowing spot fine collection by law and order officers up to the rank of special sub inspectors in cities like Chennai. 

The move, which came just days before the amended Motor Vehicles Act is notified in the State, is being done for the first time.

So far, only inspectors and sub inspectors in the Traffic wing were allowed to collect spot fine in cities. In other parts of the State, only officers in the rank of inspectors in Law and Order wing were authorised to slap fine.

“This is the first-time city law and order officials are being allowed to collect traffic fine. So far, only traffic police officials were slapping fine in Chennai,” noted a senior police officer. 

The new order from the Home Department is based on an order from Madras High Court asking the government to issue appropriate orders empowering all the police officers, not below the rank of SSI, in the entire State to impose fine. 

Based on proposals from the Director General of Police and the State Transport Commissioner, it was decided to empower all the officers in Law & Order and Traffic wings, not below the rank of special sub inspectors, to check and collect fine and compounding fee across Tamil Nadu. 

This is applicable in the jurisdiction of all police commissionerates, but excludes the Transport Department check posts. 

In addition, the government has also decided to authorise the motor vehicle inspectors (non-technical) posted at the Transport Department check posts, and also department officials, not below the rank of MV inspectors (grade II), in the State, to collect fines except at the check posts.