Mohali, Dec 7: Mohali Police have issued more than 6.21 lakh traffic challans since the district switched to camera-based enforcement on March 6, marking a dramatic shift in a city long seen as lenient on violators. According to official data reviewed till November 30, the number is more than double the 2.96 lakh challans issued manually in all of 2024.
The largest jump was in helmet violations, which rose from 32,427 last year to 3.61 lakh in 2025. Officials said the surge reflects automated monitoring rather than any sudden spike in indiscipline. A total of 504 CCTV cameras now track violations round-the-clock across key intersections.
Deputy superintendent of police (traffic) Karnail Singh said the shift to camera-based challaning has removed the limitations of manpower. “CCTV surveillance has changed enforcement in Mohali. Earlier, violations went unchecked due to limited staff. Now every offence recorded by the system is acted upon,” he said.
Automated systems also flagged 38,399 red-light violations and 37,548 speeding cases this year. In contrast, wrong-side driving and wrong parking dominated the 2024 numbers when field staff were the primary enforcement tool, underscoring the gaps that allowed other violations to go unnoticed.
The city’s Integrated Command and Control Centre at Sohana police station now monitors all cameras 24×7. Operators not only generate challans but also help locate suspects, trace stolen vehicles and support ground teams during emergencies.
Traffic expert Harpreet Singh, who has studied Mohali’s driving patterns for over a decade, said the certainty of being caught is reshaping behaviour. “People now stop behind zebra lines when they see a camera. When enforcement becomes certain, discipline follows,” he said.
Superintendent of police (traffic) Navneet Mahal said the surge in challans should be viewed as a road-safety intervention. “Our aim is not to challan people but to ensure everyone follows the rules. We will not ignore red-light jumping, driving without seat belts or riding without helmets. The objective is to save lives,” he said.
Officials said the next phase of the project will extend CCTV enforcement to Kharar, Dera Bassi and Zirakpur, areas with heavy traffic and high accident rates. Technical work for the expansion is already underway.
