Crackdown on e-challans: Cops target truckers

MUMBAI: Collections of 51 per cent e-challans issued by traffic cops over the last six years are pending and to redress the matter, the department has decided to temporarily impound vehicles of errant drivers or owners. The vehicles will be released after the defaulter clears the unsettled dues.

Top on their list are aberrant truck drivers.

Rajvardhan Sinha, joint commissioner of police (traffic) said, “We have started this process as an experiment in case of heavy vehicles which enter the city during peak hours -- between 8 to 11am and 5pm to 9am. Each vehicle is stopped and checked for pending e-challans and if any vehicle is found to have faltered, they are not allowed to proceed further, until the fines are paid in entirety.”

Next on their list are taxi operators, including Ola and Uber drivers and also those associated with online delivery apps like Swiggy, Zomato etc. “We plan to focus on commercial vehicle owners because they account for around 70 per cent of the total traffic violations,” said Sinha. If vehicle owners are unable to pay up the hefty dues, a surety will be taken to ensure they pay the penalty within 48 hours.