E-challaning likely to jump Jan 26 deadline again

Even as various media reports claim that the government plans to roll out e-challaning of vehicles in four major cities, including Jalandhar, from January 26, senior Municipal Corporation (MC) officials and the traffic police assert they have neither received any official notification about this, nor are they prepared for such a launch.

The much-awaited Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) Project, aimed at improving surveillance and traffic management, has faced repeated delays since its initiation in 2018. Despite multiple assurances over the years, the project has missed numerous deadlines.

Former Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal had set December 15, 2023, as the deadline and, thereafter, it was speculated to be operational last year on January 26 and then in March. However, frequent transfers of officials and a lack of sustained focus have significantly hampered the progress, and it is unlikely to start this year on January 26.

While the recent installation of poles and high-resolution CCTV cameras across Jalandhar stirred optimism for better enforcement akin to systems in Chandigarh, substantial work remains before the ICCC project can go live.

According to officials, over 1,000 high-quality cameras have been installed at 180 strategic locations to enhance surveillance and intelligent traffic management. Key features of the project include automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), red light violation detection (RLVD) at 11 inter-sections, adaptive traffic control and emergency call boxes, among other advanced systems.

Additionally, tools like automatic traffic classification counters (ATCC) to monitor vehicle types, variable message display boards for public and emergency communication and air quality sensors are part of the project's sophisticated framework. Traffic junction lights at nine locations are also set to function dynamically, based on real-time traffic flow.

However, significant components, including traffic violation sensors and zebra crossings, remain incomplete. Officials from the police department confirmed that the work on these aspects is ongoing but cannot be finished within the next five days. Although monitoring has commenced using installed cameras, the digital streamlining of the city’s traffic management will take more time to implement fully.