Latest news with #ChandigarhTrafficPolice
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: Dealer fined ₹25k for not steering exchanged car's transfer
For failing to transfer the ownership of a city resident's old car, exchanged for a new one, which led to a speeding challan landing at his address, a car dealership will be coughing up ₹25,000 as compensation. Terming them guilty of deficiency in service, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-DF 1 has directed the dealership, Lally Motors, to pay the complainant ₹15,000 for mental agony and ₹10,000 as costs of litigation. Further, the dealership has also been told to clear the pending challan and transfer the exchanged car's ownership to either themselves or the new owner to whom they have sold the vehicle. In 2019, the complainant, Dr Swaran Singh, a resident of Sector 18, had walked into Lally Motors in Industrial Area to purchase a Volkswagen Vento car. Under a scheme, he agreed to exchange his old vehicle, valued around ₹2 lakh, which was adjusted against the price of the new vehicle. After the deal, the dealership had issued a delivery letter-cum-undertaking, dated October 23, 2019, promising that they will be responsible for all future taxes, challans and accidents related to the old car. But three years later, Dr Singh received a challan from the Chandigarh Traffic Police in December 2022, much to his surprise. The photograph attached to the challan showed his old car, which had supposedly been sold to someone else by the dealership. On inspecting further, to his shock, Dr Singh learned that the dealership had failed to transfer the car's ownership to its new owner after the exchange. Approaching the consumer commission, the complainant alleged that the car dealership sold his old car further without transferring its ownership, a violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. The dealership was summoned by the commission but they didn't turn up and were proceeded against ex parte on October 21 2024. Skoda Auto Volkswagen India contested the complaint, taking preliminary objections of maintainability, cause of action, jurisdiction and non-joinder of the necessary party. They alleged that so far as selling of the car went, they had nothing to do with it, and it was a matter between the dealership and the complainant. The commission accepted that the company had no role in the dispute and dismissed the complaint against them. However, it observed that the complainant had submitted documentary proof against the dealership, which was not rebutted in any way. Disposing of the complaint, the commission slapped a ₹25,000 penalty on the dealership, including the compensation and litigation costs.
Hindustan Times
31-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh Traffic Police targeting late-night speeding with laser eye
Speedsters revving up to race through empty roads at night should think again, as Chandigarh Traffic Police have armed themselves with night-vision LiDAR guns to catch such offenders. Launching a crackdown on late-night speeding, a major cause of fatal accidents, traffic police have issued 150 challans between May 19 and May 31. Most speed violations recorded during the speed enforcement drives ranged between 70 kmph and 110 kmph, significantly exceeding the permissible limits on city roads. The drives were conducted daily between 10 pm and 1 am, focusing on key entry points to the city, including Airport light point to Hallo Majra light point, Sector 9/10 dividing road and Transport light point. These locations were identified based on traffic analysis and past accident records, particularly noting a higher incidence of speeding during late hours when traffic is sparse and enforcement is typically more challenging. LiDAR guns, also known as laser speed guns, use light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology to measure the speed of moving vehicles with a high degree of precision. The Chandigarh Traffic Police currently have six LiDAR speed meters, including advanced models equipped with night vision capabilities. This enables accurate detection of speeding vehicles even in poor lighting conditions, which is a critical factor for night-time enforcement. SSP (Traffic) Sumer Pratap Singh said, 'Our teams are equipped with laser speed meters that allow them to monitor speeding violations with unmatched precision. These devices work efficiently in the dark and have helped us tighten enforcement during hours when violations tend to spike.' The speed of light is a constant, which allows these calculations to be highly accurate. Since the laser beam is tightly focused, officers can easily target a specific vehicle in a group of traffic, reducing the chances of false readings. Why night-time enforcement matters SSP (Traffic) Sumer Pratap Singh explained that speeding during night hours posed a significant risk to road safety. With reduced visibility, higher speeds, and often, lowered vigilance by drivers, the chances of fatal crashes increase manifold. In Chandigarh, several recent fatal accidents have been attributed to speeding during late-night or early-morning hours. Currently, 10 traffic cops have been deployed at various locations in Chandigarh with speed guns. Plans for expansion 'We are planning to expand laser speed monitoring across the city, especially on roads where speeding is more likely due to low traffic volume at night. Surprise checks will continue to be a key component of our strategy to ensure compliance. Our aim is not just enforcement but deterrence—by deploying these high-precision, night-vision-enabled laser speed meters, we are making it clear that reckless driving will not go unchecked, regardless of the hour,' the SSP said. Deadly speeding after dark May 11, 2025: While cycling to work near the Sector 9/10 light point, UT police constable Anand Dev, 35, was struck by a BMW driven by 26-year-old Ishan Shanker Roy, who was allegedly performing stunts at high speed. The constable succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Roy fled the scene but was later arrested. March 14, 2025: A brown Volkswagen Polo driven by Govind, 32, a watchman at a used-car dealership in Industrial Area, Phase 1, ploughed through a naka set up by Chandigarh Police for Holi night checking, killing a car driver, whose vehicle was being checked, and two on-duty police personnel. He had fled the scene but was arrested within hours. March 10, 2025: A speeding Porsche Cayenne, reportedly driven on the wrong side, collided with two scooters in Sector 4, killing a man and injuring two women. The Porsche driver, Sanjeev Baboota, was arrested and the vehicle was seized.
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Indian Express
20.02 lakh challans out of 35.93 lakh unpaid since 2019 in Chandigarh: RTI reply
A total of 20.02 lakh challans are still unpaid among the 35.93 lakh challans issued by the Chandigarh Traffic Police since 2019, revealed the data obtained via an RTI. In the RTI reply by the Chandigarh Traffic Police, over the past six years and four months (from Jan 1, 2019 to 2025 till May 4), 35,93,667 (35.93 lakh) challans have been issued across the city roads to vehicles registered in Chandigarh and outside, however a majority of the violators — 20,02,995 (20.02 lakh), have not responded to the fines, and just 15,90,672 (15.9 lakh) challans were paid by violators. In 2025 itself, till May 4, 2025 — 3,27,732 challans were issued by the traffic police, however just 71,00,85 challans were paid by violators. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) (Traffic) Sumer Pratap Singh said that the failure to clear the challans will result in suspension of driving licences and registration certificates, as been recommended by Chandigarh Traffic Police to the Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA), Chandigarh to act further against the violators who are habitual offenders. A list of offenders, who have been issued multiple challans, in the city has been prepared and the RLA has been suspending driving licences on the basis of this list. Also, a habitual traffic offender, will not be able to get PUC (pollution under control) certificate for his vehicle, thus attracting more challans and fines, a traffic police official said. Meanwhile, R K Garg, an RTI Activist in Chandigarh, raised questions on the issue stating that, 'there is urgent need to find out reasons for such an all-time high pendency of traffic violation challans'. 'The pace of payment of challans should speed up, otherwise the challans piled up will take several years to get cleared.' 'With such a large number of challans and less recovery, we still lack the safe and efficient traffic management. It is worrisome that fatal accidents have killed 8 persons per month and dangerous driving is on increase. The concerned departments must take a call unless it is too late,' added Garg. According to records, Rs 5.35-crore fine was collected from 3.25 lakh challans issued by the Chandigarh Police in 2025 till April. In 2024 — Rs 21.38-crore fine was received from 10.25 lakh challans, and Rs 26.26 crore from 10.32 challans issued in 2023. The maximum fine collected in the past five years was in 2022, when Rs 28.33 from 6.11 lakh challans were received, whereas in 2021 — Rs 15-crore fine was collected against 2.42 lakh challans. Red light jump, speeding top offences Three offences — red light jump, speeding, and driving without helmet, are the top three offences committed by the violators in Chandigarh. In 2025, till April — 1.55 lakh challans were issued for red light jump, 39,000 for speeding, and 3,100 for driving without helmet. Similarly, in 2024 — 5,00,952 challans were issued for red light jump, 1,47,663, for speeding, and 84,737 for driving without helmet, and in 2023 — 4,25,048 challans for red light jump, 2,06,276 for speeding, and 1,28,935 for driving without helmet, were raised.
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Indian Express
Chandigarh Police analyses sites of 27 fatal accidents, gives recommendations
Missing rumble strips on the road from Zirakpur towards Hallomajra; high flow of traffic near the wine shop in Sector 48; overgrown tree branches near light point in Sector 55 side; and faded lane marking at the Zirakpur barrier near CRPF post, were few of the technical observations made by the RAAC (Road Accident and Analysis Cell) of the Chandigarh Traffic Police, in a report on 27 fatal accidents, along with recommendations for avoiding such mishaps. According to the data of the RAAC, in 68 accident cases in Chandigarh that took place this year till April, 30 were fatal, in which 32 persons were killed and 47 injured. The data was taken through an RTI filed by Ram Kumar Garg of Sector 27, Chandigarh. The assessment about the 27 fatal accidents has been made based on FIRs and site inspections done by the Chandigarh Traffic Police. The technical wing of the traffic police has made multiple observations on the cause of the accidents and the recommendations for avoiding such incidents in future. Among the 27 incidents, one such accident was on March 14, in which a driver reportedly under the influence of alcohol allegedly crashed his Volkswagen Polo at speeds exceeding 150 km/h, killing two police officers and a bystander. In this case, the police team has observed that a dedicated cycle track and slow carriageway were missing on both the sides of this accident spot. The police team has thus recommended that — speed calming measures be installed on the entire stretch of road, and dedicated cycle track and slow carriageway to be constructed on both sides of the road from Zirakpur barrier point to Tribune Chowk. Further, at this point, the lane markings are also faded and the team recommended repainting works. On the Sector 4/9 dividing accident, in which a man was killed while two women were injured after their scooters (Activa) were allegedly hit by a rashly driven (Porsche) car near the water tank of Sector 4, the police technical team has said that — heavy volume of traffic is observed during the visit at this entire stretch of road from Hira Singh Chowk to PEC light point. Meanwhile, it has been recommended for the installation of rumble strips, stop lines and studs at the staggered junctions of Sectors 9 and 4, along with an accident-prone area signboard and repainting of zebra crossings and lane markings. Among the recommendations made for various junctions where fatal accidents were reported, the police team has suggested that ATC light point is urgently required at t-point near wine shop in Sector 48, due to heavy flow of vehicles, while rumble strips should also be installed. At the slip road, light point Sector 55 side, at Sector 40/41/54/55, the team has recommended that tree falling on the edge of slip road needs to be cut on urgent basis at Sector 55, and pruning of trees, with road marking on road coming from Mohali side, which is faded. At Central Mall Light point, faded road marking like Zebra crossing, stop line, etc has been recommended to be repainted, with reflectors for cycle track and road median to be connected with existing zebra crossing. Among the other recommendations, blinkers installation near the rally ground in Sector 25, and pedestrian path and pruning of trees on the left side of the exit gate of ISBT Sector 43, have been made. A traffic police official said that the Road Crash Analysis Cell is responsible for the study of the road accidents to identify the underlying causal factors. The branch suggests road engineering and other measures to prevent the occurrence of road crashes. The cell conducts in depth study of every road crash whether there are any road engineering defects like blind curve, road in poor conditions, absense of dividers, street lights, zebra crossings etc. If any such engineering defects are found, then Chandigarh traffic police asks the concerned engineering department to rectify them immediately to prevent future crashes, the official added.
