Hyderabad: Nearly four in 10 complaints on new traffic portal are for wrongly-issued challans

Hundreds of motorcycles seized by traffic police for violating different norms.

Complaints over wrongly-issued traffic challans have emerged as the biggest grievance on the Hyderabad Traffic Police’s new website, accounting for nearly four in every 10 responses received since the portal was launched on October 13. At the same time, the traffic police have registered 100 criminal cases against vehicles using fake, forged or tampered number plates in the past eight months.

Data available up to October 26 shows that 179 of the 479 responses received through the new website, or 37.37%, related to wrong challans. The complaints include grievances from motorists who believe traffic violations have been incorrectly recorded against them. Citizens can raise such concerns through the channels provided by the traffic police, including email and WhatsApp.

General traffic complaints formed the second-largest category, with 105 responses, or 21.92%. These included complaints about illegal parking in residentials, vehicles making unauthorised u-turns and vehicles occupying bus stops or carriageways.

Parking was another significant concern, accounting for 87 responses, or 18.16% of the total. Traffic congestion and other traffic-related complaints each accounted for 36 responses, or 7.52%.

Road safety concerns accounted for 19 responses, or 3.97%, while nine responses, or 1.88%, related to traffic signal issues. Seven people used the portal to submit suggestions and one response appreciated the work of traffic police personnel.

The website was launched on October 13 by Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar along with Joint Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad Traffic, D. Joel Davis. It allows citizens to submit complaints relating to congestion, parking and road safety, besides providing information on designated parking zones, traffic police station jurisdictions and emergency contact numbers.

While the portal provides a channel for motorists to flag enforcement-related concerns, the traffic police have simultaneously stepped up action against vehicles whose identities are allegedly being concealed through fraudulent registration plates.

Meanwhile, during a special enforcement drive over the past eight months, Hyderabad Traffic Police registered 100 criminal cases and seized 100 vehicles for using fake, forged, tampered or unauthorised number plates. Of the vehicles seized, 88 were two-wheelers and 12 were four-wheelers.

The department has reiterated that vehicle owners must comply with registration number plate specifications prescribed under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, including applicable High-Security Registration Plate requirements.

The use of fake registration numbers, altered digits, unauthorised fonts, decorative lettering, stickers or other modifications that conceal or misrepresent a genuine registration number is prohibited, the traffic police said. Vehicle owners have been asked to ensure that registration plates are genuine, clearly visible and legible.

The website to register complaints is: echallan.tspolice.gov.in/htp.