PANJIM: While Transport Department has assured to fit digital fare meters with global positioning system in all tourist taxis by December, it has also taken up a new system to detect and penalise traffic violators.
The department, in association with HDFC Bank and NIC Goa, has finalised the testing and implementation of POS-based hand held e-challan device with backward linkage with e-challan vahan and sarathi software. Once this commences Goa will become one of few states to implement the modern enforcement system.
The Central database e-challan is the process of generating a challan-cum-receipt for the violation against MV Act and printing it through the electronic device.
Transport Director Nikhil Desai said the implementation would begin from North Goa and explained that the device will work in active and passive mode.
“In Active (online) mode device syncs with server for checking theft vehicle list, also checks with insurance renewal, pollution renewal, etc. Challan data will be stored in the remote sever. Passive (offline) mode in case of non-availability of GPRS all challan information will be stored in the local database and later on availability of GPRS data will be uploaded on server or by connecting to computer data can be pushed to server,” he said.
The device named ‘MOSAMBI’ will work on GPRS connection which will fetch relevant data relating to previous offences committed by the driver or the vehicle from its central database. Desai explained that the device will enable the enforcement officials to know the past details of a vehicle such as if the vehicle involved in a traffic rule violation is stolen, the history of the vehicle or driver, or whether any notice is pending against the vehicle.
“There is a provision to integrate credit card payments so that fines can be collected by credit or debit cards on the spot. Goa will become one of the few States in the country to adopt modern and transparent enforcement system thereby furthering concept of road safety and ensure booking of offenders,” he added.
The devices will be supplied to North Goa enforcement officials this week for implementation in field conditions after which all Transport Department officials will be equipped with these devices.
This is a major step towards digitisation and transparency and the Director said, they will also send a proposal to the police department for implementing the same.
The High Court of Bombay at Goa is likely to pronounce its verdict on Monday in the petition of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) seeking immediate implementation of government’s decision for installation of digital taxi meters.
