Maharashtra Transporters Seek E-Challan Reform

The Maharashtra Transporters Action Committee (MTAC) has called for a major overhaul of the e-challan enforcement system in the state, citing concerns over the lack of scientific verification and transparency in the process.

In a meeting with top traffic police officials, including Praveen Salunke, Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), and Sunil Bhardwaj, Superintendent of Police (Traffic), the committee raised several issues with the current system.

The MTAC alleged that in many cases, challans are being issued based on photographs taken by officials using cameras or handheld devices, without adequate timestamp, location data, or scientific verification.

The committee has demanded that e-challans be backed by scientifically verifiable evidence, including CCTV or video footage, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems, AI-based systems, sensors, and GPS data.

This evidence should be timestamped and geo-tagged to ensure its authenticity, the committee said.

The MTAC has also sought real-time intimation of challans to vehicle owners and an automated system for de-blacklisting vehicles after payment or court settlement.

Additionally, the committee opposed the roadside recovery of past e-challans and sought a single-window mechanism for resolving disputed challans.

It also proposed an amnesty scheme for erroneous, unverified, and discretionary challans, which would help to clear the backlog of such cases.

The committee stressed that reforms are necessary to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in e-challan enforcement, and that the issue affects not just the transport sector but also ordinary road users.

The MTAC's demands are aimed at bringing greater transparency and accountability to the e-challan system, which has been a subject of controversy in recent times.

The committee's efforts are likely to be closely watched by the transport sector and road users in the state, who have been affected by the e-challan system.

The outcome of the MTAC's demands will have significant implications for the future of traffic enforcement in Maharashtra, and could potentially set a precedent for other states to follow.