New Delhi: The Delhi Traffic Police has in the past month issued 4,54,438 challans for speeding, amounting to approximately Rs 90 crore, but many of the alleged offenders claim it couldn’t have been them since they haven’t stepped out of their homes due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
According to a senior traffic police officer, motorists have been speeding, given that the roads have remained relatively empty during the lockdown. This has often led to accidents.
“People are overspeeding because the roads are empty with very little traffic. The speed guns that are installed on roads make a note when any vehicle runs above the permissible speed limit and a challan is automatically generated,” the officer said.
Traffic Police said that each challan comes with a picture of the vehicle speeding, clicked by cameras installed on stretches and intersections.
“If there is a picture of the vehicle clicked by the camera on the spot, then that is a valid proof stating that the driver did violate the rules,” the officer said. “These are all electronic challans that are machine based. It is not that personnel is issuing these challans,” the officer added.
Also read: Delhi to Mumbai, cities braced for Monday traffic rush after 4 weeks of strict lockdown
Multiple challans, but proof unavailable
Several motorists, who received multiple challans amounting to lakhs of rupees, sent out panic mails to the Delhi Traffic Police seeking assistance.
Many also complained that they could not open the clip attached with the challan, which serves as the proof of their misdemeanour.
“Sir I also got this, but image is not opening, can u provide the image for violation proof,” read a tweet by Dheeraj Pawar addressed to the traffic police.
Kindly mail your grievance in detail at info@delhitrafficpolice.nic.in in this regard.
— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) April 29, 2020
Already sent but no revert so far
— Dheeraj Pawar (@dheerajonline2u) April 29, 2020
Speaking to ThePrint on the condition of anonymity, a cab driver said he was issued 125 challans, amounting to Rs 3.5 lakh in total, within a month of the lockdown. He also claimed that many of speeding tickets came with attachments that did not open.
“I may have sped in a few places. But after the first two challans, I became very cautious about the same. I do not understand how I got 125 such challans. It is impossible,” he said.
“In many challans, the clip in which the vehicle’s picture is shown, is not opening. I wonder, if I am unable to prove my innocence … how will I ever afford to pay Rs 3.5 lakhs as challan money?” he said.
While people posted their grievances on Twitter and tagged the Delhi Traffic Police, the police responded by asking them to email them in detail at info@delhitrafficpolice.nic.in.
Several complained that there was no response from the police yet, despite shooting several emails.
“These are all machine-based challans and are a matter of record. In case there is any specific issue, we are happy to check our records and resolve those. We will be taking care of all specific complaints,” the police officer said.
Also read: Delhi Police will track quarantined patients through mobile location, says Kejriwal
Twitter turns ‘grievance redressal box’
Many people used Twitter to report their issue with the challans.
“3 wrong traffic challans issued when my car was parked at my home. Pl let me know how & where to report and get these cancelled,” tweeted Rajan Soni, while J.K. Yadav claimed he received a challan even though he currently lives in Varanasi.
@dtptraffic sir,I have received a e chalan massage that I have been fined for stop line violation at Andrewjgunj area delhi, while I have shifted in Varanasi on 15/12/19 and never visit delhi during this https://t.co/LCSW78Iiha 8010404597.please do needful.
— J K YADAV (@JKYADAV2590) April 29, 2020
Manish Saini said he found it “shocking” when he received the challan though his vehicle was “standing at home”.
@dtptraffic — Shocking! Overspeed challan for vehicle standing at home. Please show proof of vehicle on road or cancel this
Challan number:30868451 found OVER SPEED (LIGHT MOTOR VEHICLE) at on 20/04/2020 at 18:12.— manish saini (@manishsaini18) April 29, 2020
Also read: Delhi ‘forced to agree’, Maharashtra says no — states split on MHA order easing lockdown
Overspeeding challan wrongly came..what is the solution of this pls reply also i got challan many speed is below 50km/h and some challan having below 60 km/h.
when I will drop any customer how is it possible to search a parking nd when I was dropping someone police constable captureing my car number.. .I think these all r stupid
I have never been challaned in my life time.i am 52 yrs.got to challans for overspeeding.papers all proper.i dont know what are they doing.i dont deny on travelling.but please i really need to how i was overspeeding
Hi delhi traffice police may cab challan is 19 speed all challan 41 to 59 all challan
Dnd 70 km speed limit and NH 24 70 KM SPEED AND ISBT ROAND 70 KM SPEED PLEASE SEE IN THREE LOCATION DND NH 24 AND ISBT ROAND PLEASE TELL ME SPEED LIMIT IN THIS LOCATION?
Have you done any follow up story on this to figure out how are these issues going to be resolved? I am also surprised to receive challan for overspeeding, I didn’t even receive any message about it and worst part now i can’t even pay it online to get rid of it. They are asking people to come to the Police Headquarters at Pusa road Delhi, for what? I understand that it’s considered as the most corrupt profession and they might have not made huge sum of money due to lockdown but is this the way to trouble people?
All challans are wrong I have checked last month I have no offense now it is showing I have done over speeding in Nov 2019 and got 3 new challans.
How this is possible?? I don’t know how a common people can survive in this hard times and the harassment done by the traffic police and Delhi government.
unnecessary Challans are issued for my car as well. Delhi govt. is using unethical way to recover the money from public because of loss in lockdown.
Delhi m Mere taxi ka challan 46,47,49 ke speed me kata gya h.Road ka limit 70 h to kahi 50 h.HR55AB4551.Total 54 challan kar diya gya h.1 overspeed ka amount 2000 h.Sara fake challan kata ja rha h
Many peoples face such kind of problems in delhi….ye sab online challan system band hona chahiye fake challan ho rhe hai sab…
@लोकडाउन से भुखमरी के हालात मे 16 अप्रैल को दिल्ली मै एक एक कैब चालक को ओवर स्पीड100से200 गलत चलान भेज कर आत्महत्या के लिए उकसाने बाद
,20/05 रोजी रोटी के लिए एक दिन गाडी चलाई कमाए 500/रुपये ,
जिसमे 300की CNG.ओर 4000 का ओवर स्पीड़ का गलत चलान
क्यों ?
Help Pl.
I have got 22 challans of overspeeding. These are fake challans.i drive car at a speed of 50 km/h .speed cameras are not correct.violation proof does not open.please remove all challans Delhi police..
Also, if we get a echallan with a photo proof. It is written there 71km/hr. How we can trust that info.
It happened pend to me as well, to commute to my hospital i am using my spouce car…. Very surprising, its not welcome. A covid worker us working and commuting under how much stress is beyond imagination. Such minor mistakes overspending a bit say upto 10km per hour or stoping a bit beyond stop line especially when most of red lights are in blinking mode after finding a surprise red light, is very common. Traffic police and ministry responsible shall understand and cancell all such challans during this period. Otherwise respect showcased to covid frontline workers is….what one can imagine.
This will discourage people who are doing great job during this pandemic
We all should gather to resolve this problem. They even have challaned at a speed of 47kmph. Now how slower are you supposed to go in a car? It’s a commercial car that I am talking about. If the driver does not even drive at the speed of 50-60 kmph the customer sitting in the car would yell at the driver and definitely give him a bad rating which will further prove in loss to the driver as the cab companies stop giving you rides if your rating is bad. The car is already fitted with a speed limiter (80kmph) which is indeed a genuine speed in a car. The concerned authorities should understand that the speed of 50-60 kmph is nothing. Only the people driving above 80 kmph should be challaned. They have issued numerous challans and 2000 is required for reach challan. How would a driver earning Rs.800-1000 would pay such an amount after paying the car’s emi’s and other expenses? If these kind of rules are made drivers would be left with no option. If they drive slow, they get bad ratings and no business and if they drive at a normal speed then they get a challan. So what should a driver do? Leave the profession and look for something else?
Sir we are the essential Services people doing duty in such hard times may be exempted during lock down for their services rendered to the nation during such hard times
#Delhi police employees #putting life on risk #carona warriors # salary cut #No DTC transport# more then 30 chalan #worth 60k # some technical problems in camera .
This is how we will appreciate carona warriors
Hey even i got challans while dropping off my mother to her work as it comes under essentials and literally helps govt. to run smoothly, i got challan on my both cars plus same camera different days but same time i guess there is something wrong with calibration of these cameras, we can talk to higher delhi police officials but don’t know if a common man can do it -_- and there are no photos in my challan, lets start an online petition agains it, i like your article its unique and i guess no one else did this story lets make a platform or a petition to connect people on this issue who are affected by this
#Delhi police employees #putting life on risk #carona warriors # salary cut #No DTC transport# more then 30 chalan #worth 60k # some technical problems in camera .
This is how we will appreciate carona warriors
4.5 lakh challane. Does it mean so many vehicles were out on the road during lock down period specially when the people are in panic and almost all offices are closed. the speed limit signage too either are not visible or too small to warn people about the maximum speed limits in different areas. You may find a drop in speed limits from 50 kms to 30 kms all of a sudden and the Police man informs you about a small signage over there. Just ridiculous.
The essential. Services people doing duty in such hard times may be exempted during lock down for their services rendered to the nation during such tough times the nation is facing pls
The essential. Services people doing duty in such hard times may be exempted during lock down for their services rendered to the nation during such tough times the nation is facing
The essential. Services people doing duty in such hard times may be exempted during lock down for their services rendered to the nation during such tough times
Downside of too much tech!?
Now you can see the consequencies of unplanned lockdown.
Not unplanned i must say but definitely DP is not doing their work properly and we need to tech them a lesson
The title of this report is misleading. There are several challans that are being issued and i have seen several tweets in this regards. Potentially there is a glitch in the RTO system that needs to be checked and thats more concerning than the minimal number of cars on the road.
I think delhi police is not regularly calibrating their speed cams and checking /servicing them plus need to work on software updates and upgrading their data servers, they did 4.5lakh + challans if we take an average of 1000₹ per challan ( the challan amounts are more than that i know but for example) its like they earned 450 crores from this, i guess that money will be enough to improve all this system problems…