Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa’s traffic cops will soon switch on to the electronic era as the department is set to penalise traffic violators through an e-challan system.
Director General of Police Muktesh Chander, the brain behind some innovative steps to tackle traffic-related issues, announced that the traditional system of issuing challans to traffic violators will be done away with.
“We will soon implement the e-challan system as records (of the violations and violators) will be stored (for police records),” he said at the launch of the Traffic Sentinel Mobile App on Thursday.
The new system will ensure transparency in transactions. It is learnt that violators will be fined through an e-challan device equipped with POS machine and the penalty amount will have to be paid on the spot.
Goa Police also launched the traffic sentinel mobile app to ease the process of reporting traffic violations to the department. Chander said that automaton of the scheme was necessary as it will allow a traffic sentinel to also check his/her reward points, etc.
Launched in 2017, the scheme has become popular among the locals with Chander also claiming it has played an important role in reducing deaths on the roads.
“There has been a decline in (traffic related) deaths and traffic sentinels have largely contributed to it. Through the scheme, we want to ensure that challans imposed on violators reminds the latter that life is important,” he stated, hoping for a further decline in road accident deaths.
As per traffic police’s statistics 328 persons died in road accidents of which 71 were two-wheeler riders. Out of the total, 66 per cent of the victims suffered head injuries while 73 per cent were not wearing helmets. Owing to increasing deaths, Chander said he decided to replicate the Delhi model of traffic sentinel to contribute towards reducing accidents and ensure discipline on the roads.
As the scheme enters the second year, the department decided to give away hefty rewards other than the usual cash awards to traffic sentinels. Rohit Naik was awarded an Alto K10 car and Snehal Kadam was given a two-wheeler in a lucky draw.
Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma lauded the scheme. Sharma pointed out to violations by the floating population indicating a crack down on them is necessary. “One of the challenges on the law and order and traffic front is that the floating population likes to see Goa as a neutral free space like not wearing of helmets. It needs to be corrected,” he said.
