A fortnight after the new smart traffic system being implemented in the city, the cases of jumping signals seem to have automatically reduced.
The fear of being caught on the camera and served a challan on their doorsteps has deterred people from breaking traffic rules. Now, the drivers can be seen stopping the vehicles not on the stop line, but two metres behind it, just to be extra safe and avoid coming under the lens.
“I would definitely not want to be listed as a defaulter as now with the system becoming online, every offence would be recorded on the government’s portal and once the number of offences cross a designated number, there is a fear of losing one’s driving license,” said Anant Kumar, a businessman, who now ensures to stop his car behind the stop line.
Traffic SP Ajit Peter Dungdung said that till Monday afternoon, 687 challans were already sent to the defaulters by post. However, the total number of defaulters validated in the last two weeks has gone above 10,000.
“As the entire process of sending the challan through post, including folding it and placing it in the envelopes is manual, it is taking some time. However, in the coming days we are hoping that the process would speed up,” he said.
Dungdung said that once the backlogs are cleared, the department will try to send the challans on a daily basis.
While there is an option to send across the challans over phone, it has still not been started as none of the rule violators caught till date have their phone numbers registered on the government portals.
Explaining the system of tracking down the rule violators Dungdung informed that the vehicle number is scanned on the three portals of union government E-Parivahan, M-Vahan and Sarthi. “The address of the vehicle owner is registered in these portals. The challan is sent on the given address,” he said.
The rule violator has to pay the fine within 15 days of getting the challan and if he fails to do so, he will be summoned by court.
Talking about the rule violating vehicles of other states Dundung said, “The post will be sent on the address of the vehicle owners as registered with the government. If they fail to pay fine or appear in the court after summon, a warrant will be issued against them. No traffic rule violator will be spared.”