Cops issue 8,500 traffic challans on online plaints

CHANDIGARH: City residents are using social media to check cases of traffic violation on city roads. From January 2018 to June 18, more than 4,000 residents sent pictures of traffic violations on the Facebook page of the traffic police and their WhatsApp number. Acting on their complaints, traffic police issued around 9,000 Traffic Violation Information Slip (TVIS) on the addresses of violators.

Police urged city residents to upload maximum pictures of traffic violations on FB and WhatsApp. As per records with the traffic police, 4,126 people sent pictures of traffic violation on the traffic police Facebook page and Whatsapp number from January 1, 2018 to June 18. Traffic police issued 8,500 TVIS challans this year.

Police said on an average, around 21 persons sent more than 45 pictures of violations related to zebra crossing, driving without helmet, jumping red light and wrong parking on the police Facebook page and WhatsApp number every day. Police verify the pictures before issuing TVIS challans.

As per records, on several occasions, traffic police issued more than 200 TVIS challans in a day. Most of the pictures receives are those of people driving without helmets and flouting zebra crossing rules. Police have also issued challans to those breaking traffic rules after getting pictures of violations from residents.

Police requested citizens to use the WhatsApp number and Facebook page for sharing of logical and meaningful traffic related suggestions, specific information about traffic congestion, specific information about road accidents and images of traffic violation with date, time and place of violation.

While police issued a large number of TVIS challans to violators, payment of fines has not been up to the mark. Now, police have sent the TVIS challans to courts for further action. UT police generally send TVIS challans to violators who live in the Tricity and not to other states.

On December 9, 2017, for the first time, police forwarded 210 TVIS challans to court for further action. All the 210 violators appeared in court and paid fine. Police had also requested courts to organise special lok adalats twice a month to clear pendency of such challans as thousands of them have not been cleared so far.