Lay emphasis on traffic regulation rather than challans, Chandigarh DGP tells cops

In what appears to be a major shift from its present practice, the Chandigarh Traffic Police will now be seen laying more emphasis on traffic regulation and education instead of only concentrating on issuing challans to the violators.

The directions to this effect have been issued by the Director General of Police (DGP), Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, after reviewing the working of the Traffic Police and taking note of the feedback received from the multiple stakeholders, it was learnt.

At a review meeting with the senior officials of the Traffic Police, the DGP conveyed that the main focus of the traffic cops in the city should be to regulate the traffic movement and educate the commuters as well as general public about the traffic rules rather than just issuing manual challans.

“Let the challans for routine traffic violations be issued through automated systems and less emphasis should be paid on manual intervention/challans for routine violations,” the top cop has directed the Traffic Police.

However, the DGP has made it clear that the traffic challans should be issued manually in case of dangerous driving and other blatant/visible traffic offences/violations that may cause danger or prove fatal and impact the smooth traffic movement.

It was learnt that there were complaints of unprofessional conduct, misbehaviour and unnecessary harassment to commuters, especially those driving vehicles with outstation registration numbers in the city.

Taking cognisance of the matter, the DGP has issued stern warning against any misconduct on the part of the cops while emphasising zero tolerance for corruption and misbehaviour.

“Anyone found indulging in unprofessional conduct, misbehaviour or causing unnecessary harassment to the public/commuters will not be spared at any cost and strict departmental action will be initiated in all such cases,” Dr Hooda told the traffic cops, while reiterating his resolve for ensuring complete accountability, transparency and responsiveness in the day-to-day working of the Chandigarh Police.

TEWARI RAISED ISSUE IN PARLIAMENT

Chandigarh MP and former Union Minister Manish Tewari recently raised the issue of exponential rise in the traffic challans in the city in Parliament.

Commenting on the reply by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to his question on traffic challans issued in Chandigarh in the Lok Sabha last Tuesday, Tewari has endorsed the public perception that an extractive and extortive paradigm has been institutionalised through the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) in the city.

The government has informed the MP that there was over 11-fold rise in the number of challans issued for traffic violations in Chandigarh through the ITMS network during the past five years.

From 78,396 in 2020, the count of automated traffic challans went up to 8,91,979 in 2023 and 8,46,960 in 2024.

Chandigarh