mumbai the state governments move to hike penalties for traffic violations is welcome but there must be clearly defined guidelines for implementation said activists on thursday while increased fines are certainly a deterrent for offenders they should not end up as a device for corruption it is necessary for the government to impress upon citizens that the intention behind charging higher fines is not to fill their coffers but that the funds will be used for improvement in existing conditions for instance a part of the fines collected could go towards improving road infrastructure another portion towards modernizing the traffic department and rtos and a third portion towards decongestion of roads by bringing in dedicated lanes said transport expert ashok datar we need tightening of the enforcement regime by centralizing the motor vehicle database introducing rfid number plates having more speed guns and breathanalysers road signages are shabby and zebra crossings are missing at many places a lot can be done for road safety by proper engineering and improving design of our roads added activist rishi agarwal former director general of police ps pasricha who has authored a book on traffic said the maharashtra government should use a combination of the carrotandstick method besides stringent fines education is important we need to start teaching children in school itself the importance of road safety and discipline that will shape their character education of autorickshaw drivers and cabbies is equally important he said to remove the possibility of corruption once higher fines are introduced the traffic police recommend the echallan project the echallan model is cashless payment will be made to the system by plastic money and not to a person still if a person pays cash and a traffic policeman accepts it they will both be held responsible said joint police commissioner traffic milind bharambe sources said the echallan project was to be launched earlier this year but is stuck in red tape activist av shenoy said it was after two decades that the government had woken up to activists demands and taken one step by increasing penalties the traffic cops are involved in regulating traffic flow and give little attention to discipline they can relegate duties of regulating traffic movement to wardens and start disciplining motorists by conducting sustained drives at every junction shenoy added