83 per cent traffic offenders use digital platform to pay fine

It rose steadily from 37 per cent to 66 percent and subsequently to 75 per cent and then 83 percent in a week’s time, indicating that the people are welcoming the new platform for traffic fine payment. A police officer said, “We send SMS to defaulters to remind them to pay the fine amount. We also call the defaulters from the control room to remind them about the payment.”

Sources also said that the system may integrate more features in the coming days to segregate defaulters and to identify repeat offenders. The RTO will decide if the licence should be suspended/cancelled for repeat offenders and defaulters.

“If a motorist defaults on paying fine or he repeats the offence, it will be detected by the system and the details will be intimated to the RTO who will decide the fate of the licence,” an official said.

Chennai city traffic police went cashless while collecting spot fines for various traffic offences in the city from May 10 onwards. It allowed payment of fine using credit card or debit card against the e-challan issued or using other online methods including SBI website or QR code printed on the e-challan, Paytm and as well as at post offices and courts.

As many as 300 swiping machines and e-challan machines were used by the traffic police at various points in the city to collect fine, if the violators want to pay using their credit cards. The decision to make traffic police’s financial transaction on the digital platform was taken because there were allegations that policemen were demanding bribe instead of collecting fine.