Bangalore has lost its charming, pleasant weather well before summer started. It was a clear sky, hot and sunny Tuesday. I got up from my filthy,stinking bed at around 8:15AM only to realize that I was running late for my 9:30AM meeting scheduled with my manager on my appraisal objectives. I set out for my office in the usual bachelor way, I was up for the task even before the clock struck 9:00AM. I put my math correctly, realizing that, I would need 5 mins to walk from my parking lot to my cubicle, I calculated my 14Km drive to office within 20 minutes would require a consistent speed of approximately 70Kmph.
All Indian cities, be it Tier-I, Tier-II would be heavily crowded between 9 to 10:30AM. So I quickly decided to take the less crowded alternative route. I was able to skid through half way my route, when suddenly a traffic signal blinked RED at me. Among the waiting vehicles, some of the two wheelers including me, found our narrow paths to reach the beginning of the waiting traffic. Clock was ticking down to 2Secs, before the GREEN appeared. Once appeared, I was one among the very few who flew past the signal.
Hardly 600metres from the signal, there was a white van, with its back door open, and a few traffic police constables, who were inviting people on road for various reasons. Suddenly a cop jumped onto the middle of the road to call me aside and switch off the ignition. I got irritated because I was getting late, but I was sure I could leave immediately because I had all my legal papers with me promptly. As I parked I read the block lettered sticker on the right side of the van. It read INTERCEPTOR.
"Please go and meet the officer sitting inside the open door of the van", requested the TPC who had stopped me. I questioned him the reason for blocking me. He politely replied "Over-Speeding". I reached the open door of the van. I saw a police man peeking through a short range terrestrial telescope. On his right hand he held a PAS microphone directly connecting to the loudspeaker on top of the van. On his left was a laptop connected to the telescope and was facing the open door, in order to help people like me to see the monitor clearly.
As the policeman was viewing through the telescope, I saw a young man, in a black jacket and helmet, in a red bike, on the laptop monitor. It read 65Kmph below the image. The image of the bike was in a slant angle, as if he was taking a small turn around the corner. As I read the registration number 'HD-2018', I was shocked to know that, I was watching my own photo, when I was over speeding. I liked my photo taken while I was driving, after all I have never seen myself driving. I was definitely looking stylish, in that slant position of the bike. Head straight, back bent well, shoulders relaxed. As I was dreaming and praising my own photo, the policeman in the van took his PAS and shouted, 'Red Jerkin, Yellow Bike'.And suddenly my photo on the laptop monitor vanished and a new image of a man in Red jacket on a yellow karizma flashed.
I went back to the TPC, got redirected to a police sergeant. I first apologised, he informed me to that I have to pay a fine amount for over speeding. As I was thinking of what next to do. A fellow speeder, tried negotiating terms with the sergeant. As I was watching them, the sergeant took something from his hip fastened to his waist belt.Initially I too thought it could be a pistol, just like you. But it would be rather stupid of the sergeant to scare the public just for negotiating. Instead he took out a Blackberry from his hip.
He opened some message and showed the Blackberry to that speeder."Sir, look at this, your vehicle registration number, your name and address, and the exact fine amount, all are available in this message. If you do not pay it here, a court notice will come to this address and you have to pay in the court. Either way, you wont be missed out or could you negotiate with us in any terms. This system cannot be cheated either by you or by me.", advised the sergeant. For a moment, I remembered the latest 'IDEA Mobile Adv on TV' towards Go-Green initiative. As my fellow speeder moved away scratching his head, thinking about a new option for negotiating, I moved towards the sergeant and reported my vehicle number. He searched through his list in the blackberry and opened up my charge sheet. 'Sir, your fine amount is Rs.300/-', instructed the sergeant.
I was upset for having been charged for over speeding. I tried to act smart by asking him, 'What is the speed limit, Sir?'. He gently replied it was 40kmph within city limits and if need be I could appeal in the court. I informed him I would pay him then and there. He took his blackberry close to a handy device that resembled a credit card reader. There was a small LED that blinked on the reader. It indicated Bluetooth was activated. Immediately a statement started to print by the reader. All my details along with the fine amount got printed. It was handed over to me in return to my payment.
I felt this is too much too early. First an interceptor, which could capture my vehicle speed at intervals of seconds. Capture my registration from the picture, process it and get the registration details of my vehicle. Send my details to the area sergeant in charge to his Blackberry. A credit card reader device getting activated and printing a bill over Bluetooth. It looked to me like fool proof and a clean system.
I put the voucher in my wallet and got onto the bike, and once again started towards my office. I had already forgotten about my meeting, my manager, my appraisal discussion and career path. I had also forgotten that I was upset over the charge sheet. Interestingly I was happy and satisfied, for some reason. I realized that I was filled with a long pending sense of pride.
I could now proudly say we are changing, from the hands of corruption.
I could say aloud that we are fast in our advancement bringing technology to common use.
I could say that we are improving in our e-governance.
I was feeling that we are in the direction of the new beginning.
Perhaps it has already begun...
