MUZAFFARABAD: A passenger coach driver plunged his vehicle into the Jhelum River in Muzaffarabad after becoming enraged over a Rs5,000 traffic challan issued for violating traffic rules, police officials said.
According to authorities, traffic police had fined the driver and decided to impound the passenger coach after it completed its scheduled trip. Following the challan, a police officer boarded the vehicle to accompany the driver and supervise its transfer to an impound site after passengers disembarked.
However, during the return journey, the driver suddenly steered the coach towards the river and drove it into the water near the roadside embankment, shocking officials and bystanders.
Police said both the driver and the accompanying officer managed to jump out of the vehicle moments before it plunged into the river, escaping without injuries. Rescue teams later reached the area and began efforts to recover the submerged coach.
Meanwhile, the incident triggered protests by transport drivers at Supreme Court Chowk in Muzaffarabad. Demonstrators criticised the traffic challan and police action, while demanding leniency for commercial vehicle operators.
The incident came days after the Punjab government revised traffic violation penalties for motorcycle, car and commercial vehicle owners. Under the updated rules, authorities reduced or maintained fines for several common traffic offences.
Officials said motorcyclists now face a Rs1,000 fine for using mobile phones while driving, violating lane markings, disrupting traffic flow and using pressure horns. Meanwhile, authorities retained a Rs2,000 fine for riding without helmets, driving without licences and one-way violations.
Car drivers face fines of Rs2,000 for lane violations and Rs3,000 for breaking traffic signals. Commercial vehicle drivers can receive fines of up to Rs5,000 for driving without licences and violating traffic signals, while separate penalties also apply for smoke-emitting vehicles across all categories.
