On-the-spot fines fetch traffic police ₹21L in first month

CHANDIGARH : A month after Chandigarh traffic police launched the e-challan system, they have issued 6,113 challans and collected ₹21.06 lakh in fine from on-the-spot challans.

The traffic police are terming the project – a brainchild of former deputy inspector general of police (DIG, traffic) Shashank Anand – a success and will soon add the option to pay through UPI as well.

Currently, payments can be made only through debit or credit cards.

E-challaning is available for compoundable traffic offences for which traffic police are authorised to collect the payment, such as driving without seat belt, wrong parking, etc. These can be paid on the spot or online at https://echallan.parivahan.gov.in/index/accusedchallan

Challans for which fines are collected by the court, including drunken driving, dangerous driving or juvenile driving, are not covered under this. Besides, challans where the driving licence is seized are also not included.

“E-challaning is especially helpful amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Payments can be made on the spot with no need to turn up at the Traffic Lines in Sector 29, which prevents crowding,” said deputy superintendent of police (DSP, traffic administration) Kewal Krishan.

He said normally appointments were given to violators to pay their fines at the Traffic Lines.

But, currently they were giving these only in cases where vehicles had been impounded.

Superintendent of police (SP, Headquarters) Manoj Kumar Meena, who is holding the additional charge of senior superintendent of police (SSP, traffic), said, “Challaning officials have given a thumbs up to the new system. We are now in the process of integrating it with the UPI payment system to allow violators to pay through mobile wallets as well.”

The traffic police are also sending bulk SMSES to people, who have pending Traffic Violation Information Slip (TVIS) challans against them. These challans can also be cleared online.