Plea in HC claims traffic challan mechanism 'faulty', needs rectification

A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court claiming that the mechanism of issuing challans under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act of 2019 was "arbitrary and faulty" and needs to be rectified using better technology.

Challans were being issued without proper and reliable technology in place and there was need for "standardization of the technology used for monitoring traffic violations", the petition by Sonali Karwasra, a lawyer, has contended.

She has claimed that there are "several lacunas" in implementing the Act efficiently due to "obsolete and outdated technologies used by the authorities to detect traffic violations".

Her petition has alleged that there have been instances where hefty fines have been issued due to faulty equipment and then the penalties had to be revoked.

One such instance referred to in the plea is the alleged bulk recall of more than 1.57 lakh challans issued by the traffic department for over-speeding on NH 24 between August and October 10, 2019.

"The speed violation detection technology, the drunken driving breath analyzing technology and the red-light violation technology are not in accordance with the changing times," it has said.

It has also contended that the government "has not put the information regarding the technology being installed to monitor these traffic violations and as such no information is available in public domain with respect to errors/limitations/restrictions of the technology used".

The plea has sought directions to the Centre and Delhi government to ensure proper infrastructure is in place for monitoring traffic violations and to standardize and upgrade the technology being used so that it is in consonance with international norms.