Mumbai: Traffic Police Using Personal Phones for Issuing Fines Now Punishable, Says New Order

The Maharashtra Police has now decided to initiate disciplinary action against traffic police personnel who use their personal mobile phones to click photos of traffic rule violations and later issue e-challans at their convenience. The directive was issued through a circular by Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), Pravin Salunkhe, following complaints from traffic unions.

Despite being provided with official e-challan machines, several traffic police officials have reportedly been capturing photographs of violating vehicles using their personal phones and uploading them to the system later, often in bulk. This practice was flagged during a recent meeting between representatives of traffic unions and the state’s Transport Minister, where dissatisfaction over the misuse of personal devices was expressed. In response, the traffic department has issued fresh guidelines strictly prohibiting the use of personal phones for this purpose.

According to the newly issued directive, traffic personnel must now mandatorily use government-issued e-challan machines for capturing violations. The Transport Minister held a meeting with traffic unions at Vidhan Bhavan on July 2, during which complaints were raised about the misuse of private phones, lack of transparency, and inaccurate documentation of violations. Even though previous instructions had advised against using personal phones, many officials continued the practice. As a result, Salunkhe has ordered that disciplinary action be proposed against those found violating the protocol.

E-challans are typically sent directly to the violators based on photographic evidence of rule-breaking. However, concerns have been raised that some officers hide near signals or turns and click pictures after the violation without informing motorists. Many motorists, unaware of the exact nature of their violation, end up receiving fines they do not understand. Moreover, traffic unions argued that photos taken on personal devices often lack timestamps, and in several instances, only the number plate is photographed instead of the full vehicle, making identification difficult. Going forward, capturing the complete image of the violating vehicle will be mandatory.

Salunkhe has clearly instructed that any officer or staff member caught using a personal phone for e-challans will face disciplinary proceedings. Copies of this directive have been circulated to all police departments and commissionerates across the state.

On the other hand, some officers have claimed that due to a shortage of e-challan devices, they are left with no option but to use their personal phones. Despite this concern, the directive emphasizes adherence to official procedures to maintain transparency and accountability in traffic enforcement.