Rs 500 crore dues choke e-challan project in Gujarat

Gujarat launched the ambitious e-challan project five years ago to do away with human interference in the traffic penalty process and make it hassle-free like in western countries.

However, down the years, a staggering default piling up to the tune of more than Rs500 crore in fine collection has not only left the project deflated but on the verge of burning itself out.

Sadly, the entire system has proved ineffective as the cops do not have a mechanism in place to catch the defaulters and make them pay the amount. Across the state's major cities, 85% to 90% of traffic violators have not paid the e-challan amount, data reveals.

Rajkot city started issuing e-challans in September 2017. Going by traffic police's figures to date, a total of 23.27 lakh e-challans had been issued till date, of which Rs 26 crore have been collected in fines while a whopping Rs 147.58 crore remains unpaid.

Nearly 500 cameras installed in Rajkot's public roads issue challans automatically for every red light violation through high-security number plates installed in the vehicle that helps identify the vehicle owners. For other traffic offences including rush driving, wrong side driving, etc, the control room monitors main roads during peak hours and captures pictures of such violators.

After Diamond City introduced e-memos, the city has issued challans worth Rs 139 crore to date through 100 cameras installed on heavy traffic roads to issue e-challans. Across the city, 720 cameras monitor traffic on roads.

However, the department had managed to collect only Rs 20 crore in penalties, so far.

Prashant Sumbe, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Surat told sources, "E-challans are sent through speed post and in many cases vehicles are registered with temporary addresses which are not updated with the RTO record. In some cases, the vehicle changes three or four hands and the person who receives the e-challan conveniently ignores it."

The police suggested getting mobile numbers of the vehicle owners so that the software can automatically generate a text message alert whenever an e-challan is issued. It will also help cops contact the offender and collect the fine.

According to sources, cops randomly carry out vehicle checking drives to know if there is any pending due. But, in many such cases, owners express inability to pay the amount, especially if it is too big.

Nearly 500 cameras installed in Rajkot's public roads issue challans automatically for every red light violation through high-security number plates installed in the vehicle that helps identify the vehicle owners. For other traffic offences including rush driving, wrong side driving, etc, the control room monitors main roads during peak hours and captures pictures of such violators.

After Diamond City introduced e-memos, the city has issued challans worth Rs 139 crore to date through 100 cameras installed on heavy traffic roads to issue e-challans. Across the city, 720 cameras monitor traffic on roads.

However, the department had managed to collect only Rs 20 crore in penalties, so far.

Prashant Sumbe, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Surat told TOI, "E-challans are sent through speed post and in many cases vehicles are registered with temporary addresses which are not updated with the RTO record. In some cases, the vehicle changes three or four hands and the person who receives the e-challan conveniently ignores it."

The police suggested getting mobile numbers of the vehicle owners so that the software can automatically generate a text message alert whenever an e-challan is issued. It will also help cops contact the offender and collect the fine. According to sources, cops randomly carry out vehicle checking drives to know if there is any pending due. But, in many such cases, owners express inability to pay the amount, especially if it is too big.

The same is the case with Ahmedabad too, which has Rs 198 crore yet to be collected in fines. The city has been issuing e-challans since September 2015 for traffic offences caught on the 5,000 cameras installed across the city.

According to city traffic police data, as many as 72.54 lakh traffic e-challans were issued so far amounting to Rs 253 crore in fines. Of this, only Rs 54.47 lakh fines were collected for 21.41 lakh e-challans. As of March 1, 2022, city traffic police were yet to recover a whopping Rs 198 crore for 51.12 lakh e-challans.

City traffic police periodically conduct drives to recover pending dues. "On Monday, we conducted a drive and recovered Rs 3.84 lakh as fines from 654 traffic offenders," a traffic department official said, adding that e-memos are mainly issued for jumping red lights or crossing the stop-line at traffic signals.

Vadodara traffic police are yet to recover Rs 104 crore as penalties from the Rs 127 crore worth of e-challans the city has issued till date.

Over Rs 23 crore has been paid by traffic offenders, said the police, adding that 28,66,663 e-challans were issued in all. Of this, only 6,35,166 e-memos have been paid. Traffic police said that while it has carried out a few drives in the past to recover penalty amounts, the collection pace was slackened by the pandemic.