Visakhapatnam Police Issue Record 8.5 Lakh E-Challans

Visakhapatnam police issue record 8.5 lakh e-challans over the past 15 months, collecting fines totalling Rs. 46.4 crore, the highest in Andhra Pradesh. The initiative is part of stricter traffic enforcement under Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi, aimed at improving road safety and reducing accidents in the city.

With nearly 12 lakh vehicles on city roads, traffic congestion has become a daily challenge. Long waits at narrow junctions often lead to signal jumping and rash driving. On average, three fatalities occur every two days due to road mishaps.

The record number of e-challans is the result of a new system where violations are documented using mobile apps. Photos of offenders are linked to the transport department portal, and e-challan messages are sent automatically to vehicle owners.

Police now issue challans for not wearing helmets, triple riding, underage driving, drunk driving, rash driving, and wrong-lane travel. Each traffic station has been assigned monthly targets for clearing pending challans, which has boosted both issuance and recovery.

Official data shows 79,131 e-challans issued in July last year, 92,002 in October, and 86,633 in November. Between July last year and September this year, fines worth Rs. 46.4 crore were imposed, with Rs. 13.39 crore collected from 3,44,421 cleared challans, making it the highest recovery in the state.

While the public largely supports stricter traffic rules, many motorists have raised concerns about “dangerous parking” fines. Drivers allege that vehicles parked in front of shops and farmers’ markets are being penalized, while roadside vendors blocking traffic go unchecked.

Shoppers argue it is unfair to impose fines when no proper parking facilities exist in busy commercial zones, despite the city’s strict enforcement measures.