The lone policeman, sensing that he could be manhandled by an unruly mob, meekly submits and allows the offender to go.

Such is the case that policemen, usually constables, regulating traffic are threatened -- by people who claim to have political connections -- sometimes manhandled and even worse, simply ignored in the city. And the officials here can do precious little when such cases are brought to their notice.

An official connected with the traffic branch, while admitting such incidents, says, ``Not only do they claim connections with influential people, even the Press tag is being misused on a big scale.''

But ACP (special branch) M B Pethani, who was himself in the traffic branch for seven years, claims, ``We make no distinction between people as far as the law is concerned and we book all those who are found to be breaking traffic regulations. But such incidents do occur.''

However, the fallout of all this has been the traffic branch embarking on a sustained drive against offenders. So vigorous has been the drive that the department has been recovering fines in the excess of Rs 1 lakh on a daily basis since January this year.

There are other problems too. Like for instance, a constable posted at Athwa Gate traffic point says, ``Many of the offenders contend that the fine memo that we issue is fake. They argue over the fine and are not ready to part with money.''

Says Traffic PI S B Rawat, who is in charge of the Station zone, ``A person above the rank of head constable is authorised to either fine or seize a vehicle, and this is being done on a regular basis.''

Most of the offences under which they are fined are like driving without a licence, riding vehicles with fancy horns and number plates and wrong parking.

But though people are ready to pay fines and escape they are not improving, regrets a head constable attached to the traffic branch office at Chowpatty, adding that some of them, when stopped, even produce receipts of fines paid a day earlier and contend that they should not be penalised for the same offence again, and that too, so soon after they have paid up for the offence.