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Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- 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.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Jumping red light top violation in Chandigarh: 1.5L challans issued in just 4 months
In Chandigarh, the red traffic light seems to trigger acceleration rather than caution. According to a recent report by the Chandigarh Police's challaning branch, red light jumping and dangerous driving have emerged as the most widespread traffic violations in the city, with 1.53 lakh challans issued between January 1 and April 23, 2025. Out of the total 3.38 lakh challans issued during this period, 45% were for red light violations. The report highlights a growing trend of reckless driving and a blatant disregard for traffic rules. Speeding and zebra crossing violations followed closely behind, with 38,838 and 38,021 challans issued respectively. These figures underline the increasing risks for both drivers and pedestrians on Chandigarh's roads. Helmet-related offences also remain a concern. Nearly 3,000 riders were penalised for not wearing helmets or turbans, including 854 female pillion riders and 987 male drivers. Additionally, there were 4,365 U-turn violations and 3,083 instances of wrong parking, which include wheel clamping and vehicle towing. A key factor in identifying violations has been the use of Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) cameras at major intersections. Equipped with artificial intelligence and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), these cameras capture offences like red light jumping, speeding, and lane violations in real time. The footage is then reviewed by traffic personnel, and challans are automatically generated and sent to offenders via mobile phones with photographic evidence. SSP (Traffic) Sumer Pratap Singh emphasised that while enforcement efforts continue, long-term road safety depends on public awareness and responsible driving. 'Stringent action is being taken, but community cooperation is essential,' he said. To curb repeat offences, the Chandigarh administration has announced that traffic violators with five or more unpaid challans will face suspension of their driving licences and vehicle registrations. They will be issued a 15-day notice. Failure to pay within the stipulated time will lead to cancellation of licences, suspension of vehicle registrations, and denial of services such as renewals, issuance of duplicates, and insurance processing. The Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA) will tag such vehicles as 'Not to be Transacted.' Backlog of nearly 20 lakh challans since 2019 The city's challaning branch also revealed that 19,93,826 challans remain pending from 2019 up to April 23, 2025. These include violations recorded through CCTV, the Police Control Command Centre (PCCC), and citizen complaints.
