Traffic police push accelerator on fining speedsters

CHANDIGARH : In just the past two months, the traffic police have issued 13,477 e-challans for speeding, over 1.5 times more than the 8,813 challans issued in the entire last year.

The challaning drive started on May 5, when the traffic police introduced three automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems.

Mounted on tripods, these are equipped with cameras and sensors to measure vehicles’ speed and click a picture of those crossing the speed limit. The device can also be used at night and can be shifted within a few minutes.

As this requires only one personnel to man it, the previous practice of setting up barricades with traffic cops and marshalls has been done away with. The challans are sent to the violator through a text message on their registered mobile number.

Violators are initially fined ₹1,000 and ₹2,000 for subsequent offences. The driving licence is also cancelled for three months. “We have started installing the system on two-lane roads as well where the speed limit is 50km/h. Contrary to common notion, the speed limit is not 60km/h on all roads,” said Kewal Krishan, DSP, traffic administration.

VIGIL AROUND LAKE

Following a litany of complaints regarding speeding at Sukhna Lake, traffic police are maintaining a special vigil on the roads around it. Taking to Twitter, DIG, traffic, Shashank Anand said a team of traffic police had been posted at the lake, and over 120 challans for speeding had been issued over the last weekend.