Traffic police departments of various states in India have always maintained that one of the prime reasons why people get a challan issued to them is due to reckless driving and jumping red lights. Hastily moving past other vehicles to jump a red light is a very common occurrence in the country, one that has become a big menace for the traffic departments across all states. Not only red light jumping causes a big traffic problem on the roads, but also it can prove fatal to other vehicles and pedestrians as well. Earlier, the fine for red light jumping was fixed at between Rs. 100 to Rs. 300. However, after realising the gravity of the situation, the government revised the Motor Vehicle Act, and amended the fine for red light jumping to Rs. 5,000, or imprisonment for up to a year, or both.
Taking into consideration that this is a serious issue, the government has also decided to utilise speed cameras and surveillance cameras to nab and penalise vehicles indulging in reckless driving, overspeeding and jumping red lights. In case you have been caught jumping a red light, you can either be stopped by the traffic police officer and get a physical copy of the challan, or you will receive an e-challan and will be notified of the same via an SMS sent to your registered mobile number. Once you receive a challan, it is important that you clear your dues within 60 days of the date of issue of the challan. To do so, you can either choose to pay online, or can opt for the offline method.
In order to pay offline, you need to visit your state’s transport department or your nearest RTO. There, you can check and verify your challan and the amount. You must know that you need to definitely check your e-challan status before making the payment, whether online or offline, to ensure no errors or cases of wrongful issuance are there. Then, you can then proceed to make payment by cash, card or other means. Do remember to collect the payment receipt after you are done for future reference.
In case you choose to pay online, you can do so on the government’s Parivahan portal, which has been created to allow users to check their e-challan, get information about the vehicle’s registration and know all e-challan blacklist details against a particular vehicle. Once on the website, you can enter your vehicle’s registration number or your challan number and make the payment via card or net banking or other online banking methods. After the payment is done, you can download a copy of the e-receipt of the challan.
Apart from not deliberately jumping the signal, you can also avoid a red light jumping challan by avoiding overspeeding while nearing an intersection and making careful U-turns. You must also be mindful of not accelerating when the traffic signal is yellow. By following these steps, and by being compliant with the traffic laws and regulations, you can ensure of safe driving and a safe time on the road.
