Police officials seize a vehicle of a traffic offender in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 22: Police have started to capture on camera traffic drives at major junctions across the city to bring transparency in the process of imposition of penalty on violators.

The traffic wing has been provided with digital cameras, both video and still, to capture images and footages of drives conducted to crackdown on violators.

The police said this initiative was aimed at ensuring that no traffic personnel misbehaved with the violators, which had become a common allegation.

“Most of the times, the violators allege misbehaviour by the police. But the footages obtained from the video camera will act as a substantial evidence to prove such allegations. Similarly, this would also help in substantiating the allegations of violators of bribing the traffic personnel,” said assistant commissioner of police, traffic, Binod Das.

The gadgets would be carried with the mobile squad and a person will record video footage.

In December last year, two traffic personnel were suspended for allegedly demanding bribe from a supporter of a legislator.

The traffic department has penalised 62,964 violators between January and September this year.

The police have also collected a fine to the tune of several lakh during this period. The Odisha Urban Police Act, 2003, empowers the cops to collect penalty from the violators and the maximum penalty is Rs 500.

The traffic police have started a special drive to decongest the major roads after a fatal accident in Khandagiri last month claimed three lives besides injuring more than a dozen commuters.

The police said special emphasis was being given to curb triple riding and wrong way driving.

The traffic wing of the city police has also proposed a number of initiatives for modernising the system.

The proposals include two additional traffic police stations at Khandagiri and Rasulgarh, a mobile tower at AG Square with a modern control room and three additional towing vehicles.

Earlier, the city police had convened a meeting with a service provider for introduction of e-challan. The electronic challan would be generated by a machine, which will also have the facility of taking photographs.

This would also enable the police to collect fines related to traffic violations through credit and debit cards.