Each of 40,000 vehicle owners in Hyderabad have 3 challans pending: Traffic police

Hyderabad: Traffic Police have identified nearly 40,000 people in the Hyderabad Commissionerate with more than three challans pending for over 3 months. "Now, we will go door-to-door and serve them notices. A period of one month will be provided to them to pay their challans. If anyone fails to clear their old challans, even notices are served, then charge sheets will be filed against them," said Hyderabad Joint Commissioner of Traffic, A V Ranganath.

As per the law, challans should be cleared within 15 days of the date of issue. "We understand that the pandemic has put a lot of financial burden on everyone. However, there was a 45-day period to pay challans at a discounted price," he said. The state-wide one-time discount for pending challans came to an end on April 15. The initiative began on March 1. As part of the initiative, over 3 crore challans whose actual penalties amounted to almost Rs 1004 crores were cleared by the motorists. The state collected Rs 303 crores.

Ranganath said more than 65% of vehicle owners cleared their challans in the Hyderabad Commissionerate. Hyderabad Commissionerate has recorded the highest collections. In addition to serving notices at doorsteps, Hyderabad Traffic Police have started strictly enforcing the laws and rules. Anyone blocking a free-left will be issued a challan as well. Additionally, the department has identified nearly 2,500 old vehicles in the city. After issuing notices to the respective owners, nearly half of the old vehicles have been towed away.

As per 39B of the Hyderabad City Police Act, Traffic Police can auction abandoned vehicles. "If anyone wants to claim their vehicles, they can collect them. However, they will have to arrange their ways to transport back the vehicles," he said. Additionally, the Hyderabad Traffic Police have launched a drive against wrong, faulty number plates. As many as 5,000 cases have been booked against illegal number plates so far.

Hyderabad Traffic Police are currently running a special drive to curb noise pollution. They are seizing air horns and other unauthorized horns as a part of the drive. The department is also looking at a shift in the enforcement after Ranganath found that more traffic challans are being issued to two-wheelers. According to him, approximately 95% of challans issued in a day were against two-wheelers.

"Hyderabad's vehicular population is currently around 75 lakhs. A majority of these are two-wheelers. Now, we will also concentrate more on issuing challans to other vehicles like cars, lorries, and buses," Ranganath said. He has directed the officers to concentrate on issuing challans to cars and other heavy vehicles that are violating rules.