UP Man Fined For Driving Hyundai Grand i10 Without Helmet

In a bizarre turn of events, Tushar Saxena, a resident of Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, was slapped with a Rs 1,000 fine by the Noida traffic police for allegedly ‘driving his car without wearing a helmet’. Making the incident even more perplexing, Saxena claims he has never driven his vehicle in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district, where Noida is located.

Mr. Saxena first became aware of the fine when he received a text message alerting him to the violation. Like many would in such a situation, he assumed it was a mistake and ignored it. However, the matter soon escalated when he received follow-up communications, including another text message and an email, informing him that the fine still needed to be paid. Confused by the situation, Mr. Saxena decided to contact the local traffic authorities for clarity on the matter.

Upon reaching out to the Noida traffic police, he was told that the fine had been issued because he was driving his four-wheeler without wearing a helmet—a justification that left him even more baffled. In India, helmets are legally required for motorcyclists and scooter riders, not for drivers of cars.

“The challan was issued on November 9, 2023. If you are violating traffic rules, then it is common to receive a fine, but that is not my case. I have never driven my car to the NCR area. And if there’s any rule that says we have to wear a helmet inside a car, then the authorities must give this to me in writing,” Mr. Saxena told the media. He emphasized that his car, which he bought in March 2022, had been registered in Ghaziabad before he had it transferred to Rampur, adding to the confusion over why he would be fined in Noida.

Despite the absurdity of the penalty, Saxena was informed that if he failed to pay the penalty, he would have to appear in court to settle the matter. He has since appealed to the Noida traffic police to investigate the issue and revoke the fine, which he believes was issued erroneously.

Not A One-Off Incident!

Oddly enough, Mr. Saxena’s case is not an isolated incident. In Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, a man named Bahadur Singh Parihar found himself in a similar situation when he was fined ₹1,000 by the local traffic police for allegedly not wearing a helmet while driving his Audi car. Like Mr. Saxena, Mr. Parihar was bewildered by the charge. However, when he approached the traffic authorities to resolve the issue, they informed him that they would only be able to investigate the matter after the (then) ongoing Lok Sabha elections were over.

In the meantime, Mr. Parihar took matters into his own hands in a rather amusing way. To avoid further fines, he started wearing a motorcycle helmet while driving his car around Jhansi. His unconventional approach instantly attracted attention, and highlighted the frustration of many who have previously been burdened with erroneous fines.

These two cases illustrate a broader issue with the traffic violation system in India. Sometimes, due to clerical errors, miscommunication, or automated processes, people can find themselves wrongly fined for violations they did not commit.

While traffic regulations are vital for ensuring road safety, these situations point to the importance of having a streamlined system for contesting and resolving fines, especially when the charges are misplaced.

Tushar Saxena, for his part, continues to wait for the Noida traffic police to revoke the fine. His story serves as a reminder of the bureaucratic headaches that can sometimes arise in even the most unexpected of circumstances.