19.8.21

Traffic e-challans will be sent to offenders within 15 days

Traffic enforcement agencies across the states will have to send the challans to offenders within 15 days of recording any offence electronically. Moreover, the state government and agencies concerned must ensure notifying the commuters about the installation of CCTV cameras, speed detection cameras or any such device for recording traffic norm violations, according to the new set of rules notified by the road transport ministry under the amended Motor Vehicle Act. The rules specify that the agencies concerned must ensure that appropriate warning signs are conspicuously placed before the stretches that are monitored by electronic enforcement devices and they must ensure that physical markings, physical stop lines and pedestrian crossings are clearly marked on the road. Missing signage and physical markings are common across cities in India. These are pre-requisite for enforcement of traffic rules.

Ministry officials said one of the main objectives of the improved MV Act was to bring transparency in enforcement of traffic rules by using IT and CCTV camera recording.

To ensure that there is proper evidence to prove the offence, the rules have specified that the enforcement agency must store the footage till the disposal of challan and till the conclusion of proceedings initiated, including appeals.

The states have been encouraged to introduce body wearable cameras for enforcement personnel while managing the traffic or carrying out any enforcement drive. They will also have to notify the offenders that the entire episode is being recorded for use as evidence.

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