Indore traffic police to visit homes of 1,140 repeat violators to recover pending e-challans

The amount of pending challans issued through the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) in Indore keeps rising, a matter of concern for the traffic police. A plan has been drawn up to recover the money. In the first phase, a list has been prepared of motorists who have broken traffic rules 20 to 25 times or more.

A total of 1,140 such motorists have been identified. Traffic department officers and staff will now visit their homes to recover the pending challan amounts. The police have prepared a zone-wise list of those who committed violations such as riding without a helmet, driving on the wrong side, jumping red lights and carrying three people on a two-wheeler. All their vehicles were captured on ITMS cameras.

Zone 1 has the most cases on the list, with 13,668 challans pending against 499 motorists. In Zone 2, 10,494 challans are outstanding against 399 motorists. In Zone 3, 3,659 challans are pending against 139 vehicles, and in Zone 4, 2,734 challans against 103 vehicles. Fines are to be recovered from all of them.

The list will also be made available at all intersections in each zone, so that pending challan amounts can be collected from motorists there. The traffic police have prepared such lists and carried out recoveries from time to time. However, this is probably the first time the traffic department will go to motorists' homes to collect the money.

According to Additional DCP Santosh Kumar Kaul, motorists who repeatedly broke rules over the past three years, as recorded by ITMS cameras, have been shortlisted. The traffic police will now go to their homes and collect the challan amounts. If motorists pay, well and good; otherwise, action will be taken to seize their vehicles.

Under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, the traffic police issue a challan of Rs 500 for jumping a red light and for driving on the wrong side. Not wearing a helmet attracts a challan of Rs 300. If challans go to court, motorists are made to pay double the amount. The court may also increase the amount. Motorists should therefore pay the fine before the challan reaches court.