After completing one successful month at four major roundabouts of the State capital, the e-challan system for digitally slapping fines on traffic offenders will soon spread to rest of the city.
Started with four traffic post located at Rajendra Chowk, Argora Chowk, Birsa Chowk and Radium Chowk in towards the end of January, the digital penalising system will be extended to the remaining 36 traffic posts as soon as the necessary software up-gradation is complete.
In the e-challan system, traffic constables enter the registration number of the vehicle found breaking a traffic rule in an application through a tablet computer, receiving details about the prior offences of the driver in return. Entering the Section of The Motor Vehicles Act associated with the violation, the application even calculates the amount to be paid as financial penalty.
The information fed into the application is also being stored and compiled to form a database of the habitual traffic offenders of the city using a server in Delhi. This database will then be used to identify them and fine or take action against them as per the provisions of the Act.
“The required number of tablet computers has already been acquired and received by the State Police Headquarters. As of now, our proprietary e-challan software is being downloaded into them. As soon as that is done, we will be able to launch the system in full swing. Announcement in this regard will be made shortly,” said Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Manoj Ratan Chothe.
For now, traffic rule violators fined under the system receive a printed receipt, generated with a Bluetooth printer, for the fines they pay and a text message about the same. Once the e-challan system is launched across the city, the printed receipt will be completely replaced by the message, making the process entirely paperless.
Even paying the fines is going to get a lot easier under the system as Ranchi traffic police department has joined hands with State Bank of India for online fines payment through a dedicated payment gateway. Details of the fines can be also be double-checked at the web portal e-challan,jhpolice.gov.in.
The rollout has been effected after considering the efficacy of the system in the limited radius it has been given. Considering the four traffic posts it was launched at generated more than Rs30,000 on the first day itself, the effectiveness of the initiative will grow in days to come.