In line with 'linemen'

“Linemen” allegedly working for traffic police collect toll from buses and human hauliers plying the streets of Chattogram and drivers are slapped with fines if they refuse to pay the toll, claim transport workers.

They said linemen collect between Tk 50 and Tk 100 from each vehicle or else they are fined “for violating traffic rules or not having documents”.

On a recent visit to Kazir Dewri intersection in the port city, minibuses, autorickshaws, rickshaws and human hauliers were seen stopping in the middle of the street to pick up passengers but two constables there were reluctant in restoring order.

A person was seen taking money from drivers of human hauliers at Chawkbazar Gulzar intersection.

Transport workers alleged that a driver also has to pay Tk 200-300 “waybill” to the linemen on routes like Chawkbazar-Agrabad, Bahaddarhat-Kathgor, and Muradpur-Oxygen.

Transport workers' union sources claimed that the “waybill” was fixed following negotiations between the unions and traffic police.

The “waybill system” was made so that drivers are not harassed on streets by police in name of checking documents, they said. If the waybill is paid, portions of which ultimately go to traffic police, then chances of such harassments like false cases reduce, claimed a number of union members wishing anonymity.

Contacted, Azadul Islam, a traffic sergeant who was performing duty at Chawkbazar intersection on Wednesday, denied the allegation of implicating drivers in false traffic cases. On having money collected by “linemen” he said, “It's a false allegation… I don't know anything about this.”

Harun-ur-Rashid Hazari, deputy commissioner (traffic) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (north zone), admitted that there was some truth in the claims. He said some unscrupulous police officials take undue benefits from drivers.

In September 2018, four constables were withdrawn from duty for taking illegal benefits from drivers, he said. “The department had launched an inquiry in this connection. The investigation is ongoing.”

The DC added, “We take action whenever we receive specific complaints but as drivers and police officials both are involved in these illegal deals, no one usually files a complaint.”

“Between October and December last year, we have filed more than 37,000 cases over violation of traffic rules. About Tk 1.17 crore were realised as fines,” he said.

Ten police officials were penalised during this period. Among them, one is a traffic sergeant, four are assistant sub-inspectors, two are assistant traffic sub-inspectors and three are constables.

Pay cut, suspension, cancellation of salary increments are the penalties that the officials were handed down, according to DC Hazari.