Now, speed checks at peak hrs, challans in mail

NEW DELHI: If you think it is easy to get away with speeding on Delhi roads, a new traffic drive may make you think again. The traffic police plan to use 10 speed interceptor vans across the city to take pictures of violating vehicles - along with the time, location and speed - which would be included in the challan posted to the offender's address within 48 hours.

If the challan is not paid within a week, the owner of the vehicle will receive court summons. Joint commissioner of police (traffic) Satyendra Garg said the decision to post the challans instead of flagging down vehicles would help cops catch five times more violators.

"Till now, checking was being done only at non-peak hours as cars had to be stopped for issuing challans. During rush hours, this usually led to jams. Now we can conduct checks at peak hours as well with considerably less manpower. We have conducted trials in south Delhi and are happy with the results," Garg said.

The interceptor vehicles are fitted with equipment that records the speed of a passing vehicle and takes its picture. "These mobile interceptors will be randomly placed at different stretches. The picture will record the time and place of the incident as well as the speed of the vehicle," he said.