Traffic drive to go digital, cashless in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): The traffic police too is also going digital as soon the cops will be given Point Operated Machine (POS) to collect penalties from traffic rule violators, an official said on Tuesday.

The system is already in place in as many as 24 states of the country, Madhya Pradesh will be the 25th in the nation to adopt digital mode for accepting penalty from people flouting traffic rules.

Additional director general of police (ADG) at Police Training and Research Institute (PTRI), G Janardan told Free Press that the department has contacted five banks - State Bank of India, Bank of India, HDFC, ICICI and Bank of Maharashtra for POS terminals. “The machines will be geo enabled, one can track the POS, its working and the amount collected. Even the state office PTRI can also monitor the working of the field staff,” said the ADG. The system will be launched next week by the director general of police (DGP) in the presence of the DGM of the banks.

“In the first phase, as many as 1,800 POS machines will be given to the traffic police across the state. The police personnel of rank of head constable will be responsible to operate the machine to accept penalty digitally against the challan issued from traffic rule violators,” he elaborated.

Now a day’s most of the people use debit/ credit cards, UPI and similar digital modes of payment and now they will also be able to pay penalty digitally, said the officer, adding that the facility will also ensure transparency and there will be no question over the penalty amount given to the cop.

Still, the old system of cash payment will remain operative as many people still do not have access to digital mode. PTRI has started with the training.  The training is being imparted to officers ranking from additional superintendent of police (ASP), traffic police in-charge and others.