Four more Ludhiana roundabouts get e-challan cameras
Traffic police have now decided to bring Jamalpur Chowk, Veer Palace Chowk, as well as the traffic signals on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur and Rajguru Nagar Chowk under the e-challan cameras
Commuters in the city will need to be more cautious as the traffic police have decided to bring four more roundabouts or rotaries under the surveillance of e-challan cameras — and going forward, even the slightest of traffic rules violations at the roundabouts would invite a challan.
At present four roundabouts in the city — Chhatri Chowk on mall road, Dholewal Chowk, Old Session Chowk and Durga Mata Mandir Chowk near the Jagraon bridge are covered under e-challaning system.
Traffic police, however, have now decided to bring Jamalpur Chowk, Veer Palace Chowk on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh road, as well as the traffic signals on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur road near Barewal road and Rajguru Nagar Chowk under the system.
Speaking about the new additions, joint commissioner of police (JCP, traffic) Gurdial Singh said the cameras installed at roundabouts can read the number plates of vehicles and will send information to the control room with video proof of the violation. The traffic police will, in turn, send challan to the violators by procuring their details from the regional transport office (RTO). The violators will have to pay the fine within 30 days of receiving the challan.
The JCP added that in the first eight months of 2022, traffic police have already issued 9,564 e-challans, with the figure already crossing the 2021 total of 9,374. In 2020 the traffic police had issued 10,162 e-challans.
The city’s e-challan system was launched in 2019 in six locations. Due to ongoing development projects, however, the number had to be reduced to four.
Scope of e-challans widened
E-challans, meanwhile, will also cover more traffic rule violations going forward. Earlier, the police were issuing e-challans for jumping traffic signals and violating the zebra crossing lines. Now, e-challans will also be issued against two-wheeler commuters not wearing helmets, triple riding and using mobile phones while driving.
According to traffic police officials the step would reduce the traffic violations. They are covering all the roundabouts with maximum traffic violations.