App-based challan to nab repeat traffic offenders

NEW DELHI: For your repeated traffic offences, like jumping traffic lights, speeding and drunk driving, there would now not only be a high price to pay but also the threat of losing your driving licence.

In order to record repeat offences, a couple of states, including UP and Delhi, have started mobile app-based challaning system and another half a dozen states are at advance stage of rolling it out. At present, drivers committing traffic offences get away by paying the minimum penalty even when they may have committed the same offence earlier. This is because there is no system to instantly find their history of offences.

"So, an offence is recorded as first offence every time and penalty is less. The present law has provision for higher penalty for repeat offence and can even lead to suspension and cancellation of licence," said an official.

For example,Rs 100 is the fine for jumping traffic light, not wearing seatbelt or helmet for first offence, and Rs 300 for repeat offence. But in almost all cases, even repeat offenders pay only Rs 100 as fine.

Under e-challan system, the enforcement officers can get instant access to details about the vehicle and the driver from the central depository of information using the mobile app e-challan facility.

The National Informatics Centre hosts national register of over 18 crore vehicles and 10 crore drivers. Sources said the appbased e-challan system will be used by both traffic police and transport departments in UP, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Odisha and Haryana, while in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu only transport departments will use this to begin with.