Chennai traffic police launches cashless fine payment system

In a bid to eliminate cash transaction and ensure transparency, the city police today launched a cashless fine payment system for traffic violators, roping in a leading nationalised bank among others for the initiative.

Though the Chennai Police had launched payment of fines by violators using credit and debit card last year, the law enforcers today expanded the idea and launched the "cashless e-challan" system.

Under the new system, payment of spot fines in cash has been done away with, and the effort was aimed at ensuring transparency and adopt digital technology for this purpose, the City Police said in a release.

Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan launched the new initiative, and gave away the necessary equipment to traffic policemen.

As per the new system, besides swiping cards at Point of Sale machines already available with traffic police, those served with e-challans can now make payments online through the web portal of State Bank of India, as well as that of Paytm.

The fine can also be paid through the Paytm mobile app using a relevant QR Code.

However, fines can be paid in cash at Post Offices, relevant courts and state-run e-sewa centres, it said.

The motorists can later produce the receipt with the nearby traffic police official, get the details updated in the e-challan machine and ensure end of proceedings, it said.

The motorists in question should pay the fine through the said options within 48 hours, officials said, adding action was likely if the amount was not paid within the stipulated time.

Those who had paid the fines should keep a screenshot of the receipt or a printout of the details for future reference, it added.