BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) is looking at roping in private parties to send out challans to traffic violators or collect the fines. Currently, the traffic personnel have started a contactless system to collect fines, with cops using either the PublicEye app or a mobile phone and grabbing an image of the violator’s registration number.
The information is then sent to the Traffic Management Centre (TMC) for verification purposes. Once that is done, the challans are then sent out from the TMC to the violator’s home address. A notice is also sent to the local traffic police station informing them of the violation.
“The initiative first began in 2002 in a small way. As of now, about 50 per cent fines are being collected,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police, Traffic Planning, Kavitha M C. She added that the system “gained more relevance during the lockdown. People are paying the fines either online, at the stations or at Bengaluru One,” she added.
A source informed The New Indian Express that the traffic police are looking at bringing in private parties regarding the fine issue since several challans do not reach the violators. “Many of the addresses provided are not valid. We are still in the preliminary stage of discussion on this,” the source said.
Kavitha also confirmed to The New Indian Express that “we are looking at it.” However, private parties are yet to come forward.
“The contactless system had to be introduced considering the COVID situation as it is risky for our traffic personnel to get in direct contact with people and collect the fine amount,” a senior traffic official said.