Chandigarh traffic police to simplify speed notification, urges admin to install more signboards

At least 78 per cent increase in the traffic challans for over-speeding was reported in 2020, as compared to 2019, raising several concerns. One of the prime reasons behind most of the road crashes, both fatal and non-fatal, is attributed to be over-speeding.

Considering the manifold increase in the challans for over-speeding in 2020, the UT traffic police has commenced the process to simplify the speed notification of the UT Administration, issued in 2013, as per the types of different road stretches. The traffic police also urged the Engineering department to install maximum signboards mentioning the speed limit on the roads.

At least 78 per cent increase in the traffic challans for over-speeding was reported in 2020, as compared to 2019, raising several concerns. In 2019, merely 8,814 traffic challans were issued for over-speeding, while a total of 30,710 challans were issued for the same in 2020. The over-speeding challans are issued manually, through Automatic Number Plate Recognisation (ANPR) speed radars.

Meanwhile, one of the prime reasons behind most of the road crashes, both fatal and non-fatal, is attributed to be over-speeding.

SSP (Traffic/security) Manisha Chaudhary said, “Indeed, over-speeding in Chandigarh is a matter of concern. We observed that there is also a need of awareness about particular speeding limit on particular roads. We are urging the UT Engineering department to install signboards mentioning the speed limit on the road stretches. We are also in the process to simplify the vehicle speed notification of Chandigarh. We will send our suggestions to the UT Administration.”

The local residents maintained that traffic police authorities must consider the manifold increase in challans for over-speeding seriously.

They stressed on the need to spread awareness about it among the public. The residents also pointed at the lack of signboards mentioning the speed limit on particular roads as a matter of concern.

RK Garg, a social activist from Sector 27, said, “The astronomic figure of 30,710 in a period of eight months is a matter of concern, as even with the operation of just three modern machines such a large number of high speed drivers have been caught. That simply means that on any given day 130 odd drivers are running vehicles at a speed higher than the permitted limit on the three specific roads. It is really a matter of concern, as the same is happening on the other roads and across UT. Especially, as it is believed that 90 per cent of fatal accidents are due to over-speeding and in 2019, a total of 100 fatal accidents took place and 104 persons died in them.”

Notably, most of the other traffic violations were reported less in 2020 than 2019. The traffic police personnel attributed it to the restriction on the movements during the three-month long lockdown due to Covid-19.

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