Cashless e-challan: Chennai traffic police collect Rs 5 crore in 3 months

Chennai: In less than three months after the Greater Chennai police introduced the cashless e-challan system penalise traffic violators in the city, traffic police have collected more than Rs 5 crore from erring drivers.

“The Chennai traffic police have registered more than 5.90 lakh cases regarding traffic violations after the new system was introduced on May 10. The police also have collected Rs 5.1 crore as penalty through cashless e-challan,” A. Arun, additional commissioner of police (traffic) said during the release of awareness video on the new system as well as the importance of CCTV installation in shops and houses.

Touting the cashless e-challan system as a success, Arun substantiated his claims by saying that only two complaints against traffic cops had been received during the period of which one compliant proved to be false. “In another case of traffic police demanding bribe, a traffic sub-inspector and a constable had been suspended,” he added. The new system had scrapped nearly three-decade-old practice of spot fine and paying fine in cash to the traffic police that paved way for bribery and sometimes fake complaint against traffic police.

City police commissioner A.K. Viswanathan released the awareness video on road safety and e-challan system featuring India’s first female motorcycle race champion Alisha Abdullah. In the video, the racer explains the process of paying penalty through cashless mode apart from imploring riders to follow traffic rules for their own safety.

“The intent of Chennai police is not to collect more money through penalising errant but is to create awareness on road safety,” A.K. Viswanathan said.

Meanwhile, A. Arun said that 90 per cent of persons slapped with e-challan paid the fine amount through credit or debit card, government e-Seva centres, post offices and courts.

“Only around 50 per cent motorists pay penalty in Hyderabad city that follows the e-challan system,” he added.