E-Paper
Free run for violators as Ludhiana’s e-challan system goes kaput
The prolonged construction work for the elevated road project on Ferozpur road and the railway overbridge on Pakhowal road had rendered the system at Hero Bakery Chowk and outside the mini secretariat inoperable.
Launched amid much fanfare back in 2019, the city’s e-challan system has remained inoperable for the last two months. Adding insult to injury, while the plan to start the operations at four additional traffic points is hanging fire.
Aimed at tightening the noose around the motorists who jump traffic lights, traffic police had brought six busy traffic points — mini secretariat chowk, chattri chowk mall road, old district courts chowk, Hero Bakery chowk, Durga Mata Mandir near Jagraon bridge and Dholewal chowk — under the surveillance of the e-challan camera back in November 2019.
The prolonged construction work for the elevated road project on Ferozpur road and the railway overbridge on Pakhowal road had rendered the system at Hero Bakery Chowk and outside the mini secretariat inoperable.
According to the police, around 16,000 challans were issued to motorists for traffic rules including jumping traffic lights, rash driving and using mobile phones till November 2022 at the existing four points, but the operations were stopped because of a technical issue, which is being addressed. Over 1,000 challans were issued to motorists in November before it was stopped.
With operations being hit, the e-challan office at the police department is without any full-time in charge.
Speaking of the same, a police officer on duty near Fountain chowk said the e-challans had reduced the burden on the police force, which is already battling staff crunch and VIP duties.
“The online challans had created a sense of fear among the violators,” he said, adding that more personnel are required to streamline traffic movement in the city in view of the ongoing construction projects.
Balwinder Sharma, a resident of civil lines, echoed the sentiment, saying with city roads facing acute congestion due to ongoing construction work, the traffic police should need all the help they can get from the technology. “Two months is a long time for removing any hurdle in the e-challan system. The lack of traffic signals at important intersections should also be addressed by the authorities,” he added.
Addressing the issue, additional deputy commissioner of police (special operations and traffic) Sameer Verma said the e-challan has been stopped due accounting-related readjustments, as there were issues related to the bank account being used for collecting the fine.
Verma added the problem has been addressed and the process is expected to be streamlined within a week. He said that once the system is restarted, the additional traffic points will also be started.
Notably, traffic police had in September 2022 announced the decision to bring the intersection near Veer Palace Chowk and Jamalpur Chowk on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh road along with the traffic signals on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur road near Barewal road and Rajguru Nagar Chowk under the e-challan system.
