THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police has introduced an e-challan facility that allows people booked for traffic offences to make digital payments. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the e-challan facility on Tuesday. The police will use it for traffic enforcement in town locations of Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Kollam and Thrissur in the first phase.
Terming the facility a requirement of the changed situation, the Chief Minister said it will address some of the complaints of the public regarding traffic enforcement. The digital system would ensure transparency, he said.
Under the system, police officers can verify the licence and vehicle registration on the spot. The device is linked to the national motor vehicle database. Those booked for the offence can use credit cards, debit cards or internet banking to pay the fine. Cases of people not making the payment will be transferred to virtual courts. E-treasury can be used to pay fines announced by virtual courts.
The Chief Minister suggested that the public should be given more time to pay the fine if they do not have enough money when booked. The vehicle inspection will become more transparent as the photos and videos of the offense will be made available using the system. The facility will be deployed in other districts soon, said the Chief Minister.
The National Informatics Centre developed the software for the e-challan. The project involves an association of banks and the Treasury department.
Integrated traffic management
The Chief Minister said the state would soon implement the integrated traffic management system. It involves surveillance of roads and major junctions across the state using cameras. There would be around 3000 cameras installed including automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. The live visuals will be monitored by a central control room that can give instructions to enforcement and health agencies to deal with emergencies. “The integrated traffic management system will revolutionise policing in the state,” said the Chief Minister.