Citizens have demanded that the Goa government fix flaws in the existing e-challan system before rolling out AI-enabled dashcams in all government vehicles under the new Goa Vehicle Authentication (GOVA) system.
The call comes as Aldona Congress MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira raised concerns about a local man who received an e-challan totalling Rs 13,000, most of which were found to be false violations.
Ferreira said the man was on a two-wheeler and the fine claimed he failed to stop for police and didn't produce documents when no police had actually stopped him, with everything based on CCTV footage.
When Ferreira followed up with officials, he was told the errors were due to a system fault where a software update had not gone through, leading to automatic generation of inaccurate fines. "How can a person be fined for multiple violations, each contradictory to each other - on the face of it and then claim that it can be reduced?" Ferreira asked.
He said the practice of issuing challans under a faulty system was "burdening the common people especially the poor, by raising huge amounts of fine and then claiming it will be reduced after they have attended office and produced documents is antithesis of a democratic system."
"Can this not lead to corruption or favouritism? For system fault, the Government is responsible and common people cannot be burdened," Ferreira said, adding he will raise the issue in the forthcoming Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Goa government is preparing to launch the GOVA system, which promises real-time detection of violations like lane-cutting, helmetless riding and dangerous driving through AI-enabled dashcams installed in government vehicles. This was announced on Wednesday and it has already raised questions about why the existing problems have not been fixed yet. The worry is that the new system may increase the types of errors and the number of people suffering from wrong and inflated fines.
However, citizens point to ongoing problems with the current system. Long queues have formed outside Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in Panjim, Porvorim and other towns as citizens rushed to pay or contest traffic fines following a transport department directive that gave people just seven days to clear outstanding dues. With the digital payment facility not functioning properly for several days, citizens have been forced to visit RTO offices in person.
"There’s an online option, but it simply doesn't work right now. So, everyone has to come here in person and waste hours," said Rahul Naik from Saligao, waiting outside the Porvorim office.
In Porvorim, residents are still angry over a faulty traffic signal near the Honda showroom circle that led to a flood of e-challans. They claimed the signal often froze or changed erratically, confusing motorists and causing many to inadvertently cross during unclear phases.
"We were fined for jumping a red light when the signal itself wasn’t working properly," said Damodar Kamat, who stood in line to appeal his challan. "They didn't fix the signal, but they were quick to fine us."
Citizens across the state are now questioning whether Goa is ready for a system like GOVA. "If the current system can't get basic things right, why are we bringing in more tech?" asked Joseph Dias from Panjim. "The dashcams will record everything and automatically issue challans — but who will review these before sending them out? What if the AI gets it wrong again?"
The concerns have grown as more people discover errors in their e-challans. Several motorists reported receiving fines for violations allegedly committed by vehicles of different categories or registration numbers, forcing them to take time off work to visit RTO offices.
Others pointed to the stress caused by sudden fines. "Imagine getting an e-challan for Rs 10,000 with no warning," said Pooja Desai from Mapusa. "It's terrifying, especially for people who depend on their two-wheelers to get to work."
Citizens say that before introducing advanced surveillance systems, the government must first restore faith in the existing one by fixing the non-functional online payment system, reviewing wrongly issued challans, ensuring faulty traffic infrastructure is promptly repaired, and introducing a more transparent appeals process.
"Digital enforcement can work — but not if the basics are broken," said Naik. "Get that right first, then talk about AI and dashcams."