How Does The E-Challan System Work in India?

India has a high number of traffic accidents every year and it is predominantly due to the disregard for traffic rules. The e-challan is a form of ticketing, that is a penalization for the violation of traffic rules. It has been introduced as an effort to make people more aware of traffic rules and scare them into following them so that they avoid penalties. Read on to find out what this system is in greater detail and how it works in India. 

What Is A E-Challan?

A challan is a written notice that can be issued by traffic police, under their official name, to anyone who violates the proper traffic rules. It is an official notice and has been regulated since the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988. An e-challan is simply an electronic version of this notice. With the introduction of an electrical medium, this issuance can now be on a wider and more precise scale. 

Manual notices can often take more time, effort and are subject to mistakes. E-challans can be issued automatically even in the physical absence of a traffic police officer due to the CCTVs that have now been installed. The CCTVs send their feeds to an app that can be downloaded on the officer’s phone, from where they can see the violation and issue an e-challan accordingly. Moreover, e-challans can be paid online, not only increasing convenience but also reducing the chances of forfeiting tickets by bribery or the like. This entire system has greatly enhanced rule-keeping and increased convenience. 

How Does The E-Challan System Work in India?

As we have already established, the e-challan system is a highly precise and efficient system. Here is how it works in India.

1. CCTVs have been installed almost on all major roads in India. The feed from the CCTVs is directly sent to the police officers as well as recorded for future purposes and reference.

2. The traffic police can identify the traffic violations committed on video even if they had not been physically present at the spot and the very time of the incident. 

3. From the recorded footage, the traffic police can then derive information about the vehicle such as their vehicle number. Once this information is found, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) will provide information to the police according to their records of the vehicle.

4. Once the address and the contact information of the offender is in the traffic police’s hands, an e-challan is generated and issued which is usually sent to the offender’s mobile phone comprising details of their offence such as its date and time.

5. The offender will then have to clear their dues to further ride their bike on the streets and clear their name of any offence.

Endnotes

An e-challan can be paid online or offline as per the convenience of the violator. The best way to avoid an e-challan is of course to make sure to follow all traffic rules, even the seemingly simple ones like wearing a helmet and putting on the seat belt. Also, make sure to have the necessary insurance policies to protect yourself against any physical harm to you or your bike. And if you still do get an e-challan, make sure to pay it on time and not try and escape from it, as it will only add to your troubles.