Despite installing over 2,000 advanced CCTV cameras across the city, Chandigarh continues to witness massive traffic rule violations, with authorities issuing a staggering 7.12 lakh challans in just ten months of 2024.
Massive Challan Figures Despite Surveillance
From January 1 to November 5 this year, Chandigarh Traffic Police penalized motorists with 7,12,000 challans, recovering nearly Rs 17 crore in fines. The data reveals an interesting pattern when compared to previous years, showing some improvement in compliance.
Last year witnessed even higher numbers, with police issuing 9,91,000 challans and collecting fines amounting to Rs 26.72 crore. The current year's figures indicate a positive trend toward better traffic discipline among residents.
Breaking Down the Violations
The comprehensive data reveals that certain violations dominate Chandigarh's traffic offense landscape. Red light jumping emerged as the most common offense, accounting for 3,60,251 challans out of the total.
Speed limit violations followed with 79,068 cases, while helmetless riding resulted in 15,311 penalties. More dangerous practices like triple riding on two-wheelers led to 839 challans, and drunk driving accounted for 3,715 cases. The remaining 2,73,580 challans were issued for various other traffic rule violations.
Technology-Driven Enforcement System
Chandigarh's traffic monitoring system operates through the Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC), which was inaugurated by Home Minister Amit Shah on March 27, 2022. The city has 2,085 CCTV cameras strategically installed at various traffic junctions and intersections.
A dedicated team of 28 police personnel works round the clock to monitor important locations across the city and issue challans for violations detected through the camera network. This technological approach has revolutionized traffic enforcement in the union territory.
Social Media Boosts Enforcement Efforts
Interestingly, social media platforms have become powerful tools for traffic regulation in Chandigarh. According to official data, 40,000 challans were issued through photos and videos uploaded by citizens on official social media handles of UT traffic police.
The breakdown shows that 5,952 challans were issued based on complaints received through Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter), while an impressive 34,055 challans were issued on reports submitted via WhatsApp.
The historical data reveals a significant increase in traffic enforcement over the years. In 2021, authorities issued 2.3 lakh challans collecting Rs 15.3 crore, which jumped to 5.9 lakh challans and Rs 30.1 crore in fines in 2022. The peak came in 2023 with 9.9 lakh challans and Rs 30 crore in fines, followed by a slight decrease in 2024 with 9.9 lakh challans but Rs 26.7 crore in collections.
While the high number of violations indicates persistent traffic discipline issues, the year-on-year improvement suggests that enhanced surveillance and public participation through social media are gradually making Chandigarh's roads safer.
