Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 21: Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today said that complaints regarding the imposition of traffic penalties will be a thing of the past in Kerala with the introduction of the e-Challan system. He said this while inaugurating the e-Challan project of Kerala Traffic Police today via video conferencing.

In his inaugural address, the Chief Minister said, “The e-Challan system is being introduced as part of the modernisation efforts of the Kerala Police, especially in traffic enforcement. Earlier, there were several complaints when a fine was imposed but now traffic cameras record the traffic offences accurately and the fines are imposed without any direct contact. This will help in avoiding complaints. With the rise in the number of vehicles on the road, it’s even more important that traffic rules are enforced effectively.”

The e-Challan system works in conjunction with the National Motor Vehicle Database at the national level. All the information about the vehicle can be obtained by entering the vehicle number and license number on the handheld device with the officers. The machines can also be used to pay the penalty with credit or debit cards.

The High Court has ruled that virtual courts can be set up to deal with traffic offences. Cases regarding traffic violation will be forwarded to the virtual court through the e-Challan software developed by the National Informatics Centre. Penalties, as determined by the virtual court, can then be paid through the e-Treasury system. The biggest of this system is that there won’t be corruption and being a digital system, good transparency can be ensured.

This system will be beneficial for the public as well. With the availability of photo and video evidence of the incident, the system will become more acceptable. The system is currently functioning in all the districts with the help of the Department of Motor Vehicles under the Safe Kerala project.

“The road transport sector in Kerala will undergo revolutionary changes in the near future. It is hoped that the integrated traffic management system will be completed soon so that all major roads and junctions in the state can be viewed in real-time. It is equipped with state-of-the-art control room, surveillance systems, ambulance and fire fighting systems. The network of 3,000 cameras, including number plate recognizable cameras, would help patrol vehicles and traffic police vehicles to issue directions quickly”, the CM added.