Also, with the majority of e-challans for various traffic-related offences pending since last year, the text message alert system, already initiated for this purpose, has borne favourable results, with people paying fines, an official said.
“Earlier, there used to be an automated message alert system, but it is not there now, and it is the vehicle owners’ responsibility to check the documents. An alert system will also be useful for them,” Sanjiv Bhor, the Pune regional transport officer, told TOI.
Another RTO (Regional Transport Office) official said the system of sending text message alerts pertaining to pending e-challans started two months ago. “In 2023, RTO issued a total of 48,070 e-challans, out of which 4,570 have been settled. A total of 43,500 e-challans are pending. Generally, those slapped with one need to settle it by paying the fine within a week. This, however, doesn’t happen and we wait for around six months and then send the e-challans with details to the Motor Vehicles’ court. With challans not being settled, we started sending text messages, alerting vehicle owners that their cases were now going to the court. In December, the RTO recovered fines worth Rs 23.67 lakh and Rs. 17.08 lakh in January. People either visited the RTO or paid the fine via Parivahan portal,” the official pointed out.
In December last year, the RTO office had sent 43,500 text messages, while 2,317 messages were sent in January this year.
“With the text message system working, we are planning to extend it with the motive to provide information to the vehicle owners. Via our database, we plan to send them reminder text messages once their vehicles’ registration is going to end, and a re-registration is needed. Similarly, we plan to do the same in case the driving licences of a vehicle owner need to be renewed. In addition, messages regarding the importance of following traffic rules, advantages and tips for safe driving etc, will be sent to them. These messages, we believe, will help them a lot,” an assistant regional transport rank officer with the Pune RTO office said. The registration of any vehicle is valid for a period of 15 years after which it can be either re-registered or scrapped. A driving licence is valid for 20 years or till the time the licence owner reaches 40 years of age.
Middle-aged Krishnath Chikorde, a government employee, said that the plan was good. “People these days are extremely busy and hence they tend to forget important things. These text messages will serve as timely reminders about the crucial things,” he said.
