Nagpur: Collection of fine from traffic rule violators has dropped following introduction of e-challans as most violators caught through CCTV cameras don’t pay up. As a result, traffic department stands to lose approximately Rs8 crore in first eight months of this year. On the other hand, despite issuing challans to over 3.05 lakh motorists for violating traffic rules till August end, there is no decline in the violations on city roads.Senior traffic cops, however, claim the data they are building by going digital will eventually lead to more effective and efficient traffic management in coming days.The traffic department is buoyed with the rise in the number of violators booked — around 1,441 a day now as compared to 600 to 700 before e-challans were introduced. Even though the number of violators caught has gone up, traffic police’s collection from fines has seen a steep decline of 61% after the switch over to complete e-challans from May this year, data compiled by the department reveals. A projection from the dip in collections in the eight months suggests that the traffic department’s recovery dipped by almost Rs8 crore compared to last year during the same period. In 2017, the traffic department had issued 2.84 lakh challans and collected Rs10.88 crore as fine.Sources said the department has issued 3,50,235 challans to violators (including 1.86 lakh by the traffic cops deployed across the city, while over 1.63 lakh challans were issued through CCTV camera grabs). However, since August 30 this year, the zones have collected a fine of Rs4.75 crore only. Through e-challans only, the traffic police should have recovered a fine of Rs7.42 crore for various violations like without helmet (1,37,720 challans issued), crossing stop line (12,818 violations), triple seat (2,118), not wearing seat belt (4,618), parking in no parking zones (1,863), fancy number plates (325) as the fines for these violations ranges between Rs1,000 and Rs200.Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Raj Tilak Roushan admitted there is no 100% compliance in e-challan system. He also pointed out as fines of all challans are collected through branches of Central Bank of India and post offices, there is no separate data of fines collected from e-challans.Traffic experts said till the department does not ensure strict action against violators, traffic rule violations on city roads would not come down.The DCP further clarified that the department was going to improvise the system to ensure cent per cent compliance. “The department will be preparing a data of defaulters who have not paid the fines and these challans will be sent to the motor vehicle court,” he said.“We are also working on a system that if a violator was issued challan he or she has to pay the fine within 15 days and failing which data of such violators will be sent for prosecution,” he said. “In another couple of months, the system will start giving good results,” he said.

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