Ganjam: An auto-rickshaw driver in Ganjam town has reportedly received an e-challan of Rs 1,000 for not wearing a helmet while driving his three-wheeler, raising questions over a possible error in the traffic enforcement system.
The driver, identified as Prafulla Kumar Panda, said he had travelled to Brahmapur Monday with his auto-rickshaw after taking a passenger on hire. However, after returning, he received a challan notice on his mobile phone for allegedly riding without a helmet. The notice instructed him to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 for the violation.
Surprised by the penalty, Panda visited the District Transport Office at Agasti Nuagaon and showed the notice to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) staff. He was reportedly informed that the challan had not been issued by their office. Panda subsequently approached national highway safety officials, but his efforts to resolve the matter proved unsuccessful.
With no satisfactory response from the authorities concerned, he has now sought the media’s intervention to highlight the issue and seek clarification. The incident has raised concerns about the accuracy of electronic traffic challans and the difficulties faced by vehicle owners in getting such apparent errors rectified.