From August pay traffic fines online

Beginning August this year, traffic offenders will have to compulsorily pay all fines online. Sources said that the chief minister had approved a long-pending proposal from the traffic department to issue only e-challans to traffic violators. A private contractor had been appointed to implement the scheme where offenders would be issued e-challans and would have to cough up the fine online within 15 days.

Furthermore, all fines would be increased by Rs 9.50, the same being cost incurred by the contractor on operations. Instead of burdening taxpayers, the government had decided to recover the cost from traffic offenders themselves. “The CM is in agreement with implementing e-challans. The file is expected to get all required clearances from the CMO within 15 days. Thereafter, it will take another two weeks to put the mechanism in place. By end of July, everything will be ready,” said a senior official.

The official further said that all vehicles with Maharashtra registration would be issued e-challans for traffic violations. “People will have 15 days to pay the fine online. The option of cash transactions will not be available for vehicles having Maharashtra registration. People can use credit cards, debit cards, Internet banking or e-wallets to pay the fine amount. If the fine is not paid even after 15 days, an added penalty of Rs 10 per day will be added to it.

Once the penalty reaches Rs 1,000, it will not be increased further. But in such cases, offenders will have to pay the fine for repeat offence through debit or credit cards on the spot else their vehicles will be confiscated until such time they pay up the fine,” said the official.

For vehicles with registration from states other than Maharashtra, payment counters will be set up. Such traffic offenders will have to pay the fine and will be allowed to take back their vehicles only after producing a receipt for the fine. The option of cash payment will be made available to them as drivers of transport vehicles like trucks may not have debit or credit cards. Moreover, all offenders will have to pay an additional Rs 9.50 as cost of implementing the e-challan system. “This has been done so that the government does not have to spend taxpayers’ money on it. Traffic rule violators will pay for the operational cost of the system,” the official added.

Joint commissioner of police (traffic) Milind Bharambe said that the initiative had been envisaged to curb corrupt practices while collecting fines from offenders. “Once the e-challan system is implemented, no traffic policeman will be allowed to accept cash from people. Offenders will have to pay the fine online and at collection counters only. Police will only issue e-challans. Thereafter, if anyone is found taking cash, the policeman, as well as the person paying the cash will be held responsible,” said Mr Bharambe.