Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Road Transportation Corporation (KSRTC) known to create records of one kind or the other met with another success by collecting fines from people smoking in the state-owned public transport buses and bus stands.
KSRTC has collected a whopping Rs 1.7 Crore amount in fines from 85143 smokers and other tobacco users, since 2013.
The cases registered against smokers has almost doubled to 32018 in 2014-15 compared to 16439 in 2013-14. However in 2015-16 numbers of cases declined to 23166 .
A fine of Rs 200 is levied on smokers puffing in public places which include bus stands and state-run buses based on a central government Act of 2003.
The state-owned corporation has taken stringent measures to control smoking and use of tobacco in 150 bus stations, revealed officials. However, the goal is not to levy fines, instead the corporation wants to create awareness among the public on the ill effects on health due to smoking and use of other forms of tobacco, added officials.
There is a significant decrease in the number of cases in the recent past after the central government increased the fine amount from Rs 200 to Rs 1000, noted officials.
