Traffic police recover ₹9.23 lakh by way of e-challans in three days

The city traffic department has recovered as much as Rs923,480 after 1,335 persons were issued device-based challans between July 29 and 31 while as many as 1,509 violators have been charged Rs790,500 in towing charges during the same period

The city traffic department has recovered as much as Rs923,480 after 1,335 persons were issued device-based challans between July 29 and 31 while as many as 1,509 violators have been charged Rs790,500 in towing charges during the same period. DCP (traffic) Rahul Srirame, said, “Currently, we are going slow in terms of recovery as only those violators who openly flouted signals have been asked to pay fines. For the rest, it is based on counselling and polite talk.” Readers may recall that the traffic branch has once again been asked to issue challans to those violating traffic rules using e-challan machines. Besides machines, the traffic branch has also activated fine recovery through CCTV, and has resumed towing to discipline the citizens.

Pune traffic police official takes action against violators using e- chalan machine at Katraj chowk on Monday. (Ravindra Joshi/HT PHOTO)

Social worker Danish Khan said, “The police must focus more on enforcement and less on fine recovery as there is a very thin line between fine recovery and graft and corruption. At the same time, more attention must be paid to ensuring that citizens follow the law and help the police in their traffic duties as service to the nation.”

Madhuri Ghule, an IT professional from Mundhwa, said, “Things will not change as the traffic police have got their favourite legal tool of stopping commuters and extorting money. The earlier arrangement of police absence was better as citizens learnt the spirit of cooperation amongst themselves rather than having a mediator like the police who are anyways not concerned about the plight of commuters. We will wait and see what changes take place but I believe that unless modernisation of the police force is carried out, all these measures will not improve the force.”

During the first week of June, the Pune police commissioner had halted the traffic police’s fine recovery drive after Punekars complained of corruption, bribery and high-handedness including misbehaviour on the part of the traffic police. The DCP (special branch) was assigned the task of conducting an inquiry into the allegations by the joint commissioner (law and order) Sandeep Karnik. The traffic branch personnel had to surrender their e-challan machines following complaints of harassment. For over a month, the traffic cops were found away from all important chowks and roads, and it was the commuters who managed the traffic in the absence of traffic police officially assigned on duty. At the time, some residents even alleged that the traffic cops had rebelled against the police commissioner.