Those with pending challans might see their driving licence get suspended or even confiscated as stricter traffic regulations come into force with the beginning of a new financial year, April 1.
Under the new regulations, driving licence may be suspended for three months in cases of pending e-challans of over three months, according to a News18 report.
In addition, three challans for red light violations or rough driving within one financial year could also result in a three-month suspension of driving licence.
HT has not independently verified the information.
The decision reportedly came in the backdrop of the government’s concern over low recovery rates of e-challans, with merely 40 per cent of the fines being paid by citizens. To ensure that drivers comply with the rules, the government is also considering to hike insurance premiums for those with two unpaid challans from the previous year.
However, the administration has also considered that sometimes challans might be pending due to some technical error or late notifications. The report mentioned that government will implement a plan for a comprehensive operating procedure in this regard, to ensure pending monthly challan or fines will be alerted to vehicle owners and minimum specifications for traffic cameras.
At present, Delhi holds the first spot in lowest recovery rates for challans, 14 per cent. This is followed by Karnataka, 21 per cent, and Tamil and Uttar Pradesh, 27 per cents. Maharashtra and Haryana, however, hold some of the highest spots on this challan recovery, with a rate of 62 and 76 per cent respectively.
Crackdown on traffic violations in Delhi
The Delhi traffic police’s force received a 360-degree rotatable AI-powered 4D radar-interceptor, capable of spotting traffic violations such as overspeeding, driving without seatbelt or using phone while driving. An official said that this AI technology will also issue automated e-challans to those without any human intervention, a news agency PTI report had said.
This AI-powered radar interceptor will be placed on top of police vehicles, a source said.
The interceptor features a 360-degree rotatable Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera, while its radar system simultaneously tracks multiple vehicles and measures their speed using advanced radio wave technology, an official said.
He added that the system also integrates with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for automated e-challan generation, ensuring swift enforcement of traffic rules.