noida

Updated: Aug 22, 2015 00:41 IST

The traffic police started issuing postal challans for offences at Noida intersections on Friday, with 53 offenders being booked on the first day itself. Interestingly, the first challan was issued to a policeman as he was riding his motorbike without a helmet.

The facility of postal challaning was started in the district on March 20 on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. Since then, the traffic police have issued challans to drivers of over 8,600 speeding vehicles. However, this facility had been confined to the expressway till now.

Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Rajeev Narayan Mishra said, “Ten cameras have already been procured for the purpose. To begin with, five constables have been given digital cameras to take photographs of traffic violations at busy intersections. Photographs are required for issuing challans by post. We will see how efficiently we can handle the facility and, gradually, we will cover more intersections. If needed, more cameras will be procured.”

Traffic police personnel have been stationed on locations where violations are most rampant. They will take photographs of violators and submit them to the Traffic Enforcement Centre, which in turn will retrieve details and mailing addresses of the violators and post the challans to them.

Enforcement officers are focussing on violations like jumping the traffic signal, reverse driving, using cellphone while driving, driving without a helmet or seatbelt, triple riding on two-wheelers, parking vehicles on roads or unauthorised parking, overloading of passengers, etc.

Mishra said the first postal challan was issued to a police officer who was found driving his motorbike without a helmet. “Charity begins at home and so does enforcement. We chose to start the facility by selecting a location near the police control room. As it was the first day of the new system, and there were intermittent showers, we could issue only 53 challans. I hope the number will pick up soon,” he said.

Mishra said this initiative will help in streamlining traffic and enhance road safety through better enforcement. It will reduce the unwanted interface between drivers and traffic police and check allegations of misbehaviour and corruption by police, he said.