Traffic sergeant slaps bus driver over pending dues

Kolkata: A traffic sergeant allegedly slapped a bus driver near Deshapriya Park for not paying the pending fine on Tuesday afternoon.

According to locals, a traffic sergeant ordered a bus of route number 3C/1 to stop.

When the conductor asked what was the offence, the sergeant allegedly asked the driver to get down and informed him about the several unpaid traffic cases pending on the bus.

The driver was then allegedly asked to pay Rs 2,000 to dispose of the cases under the 'One Time Settlement Scheme' introduced approximately two months ago by Kolkata Police.

On hearing the amount, the conductor expressed his helplessness and said he did not have that much cash and would definitely inform the owner of the bus about the pending fine.

As a result, the sergeant got angry and forced the conductor to pay the fine on spot, otherwise he would not let go off the bus. In the meantime, some passengers got down from the bus and tried to settle the matter. But the traffic sergeant was rigid and under no circumstances was ready to let go off the bus.

While talking to the passengers, the sergeant allegedly held the conductor by his shirt's collar and slapped him.

The passengers immediately demanded an apology but he refused. Other bus drivers and conductors of the same route were informed. Within a few minutes, almost 80 buses reached the spot and parked their vehicles blocking the main carriageway.

Senior officers from the concerned traffic guard and Gariahat police station had to intervene following which the road block was withdrawn. The drivers and the conductors alleged that police in several areas are harassing them in the name of paying pending traffic dues.