CHANDIGARH, August 7 — A day after Chandigarh’s top cop ordered an end to manual traffic challans, Congress MP Manish Tewari called for a thorough investigation into the city’s traffic enforcement system, citing a sharp spike in e-challans and concerns over citizen mistreatment.
Read more: Video Proof Must for Crash Claims
“The exponential increase in electronic challans from 2022 to 2025 raises serious questions about the fairness and functioning of the AI-based Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC),” Tewari said on Wednesday. “It’s not just about technology — it’s about the people who are facing unnecessary harassment and humiliation.”
Tewari linked the decision to suspend manual challaning to his recent parliamentary question seeking data on traffic fines issued in Chandigarh between 2019 and 2025. While welcoming the operationalisation of the ICCC, he warned that without oversight, automation could erode public trust.
“Restricting manual challans to only visible violations is a good move, but there must be accountability in the AI system. Transparency is key,” the MP added.
Chandigarh Congress also lent its support to the traffic reforms. Local unit president HS Lucky met Director General of Police Sagar Preet Hooda on Wednesday and welcomed steps aimed at making the challaning process more citizen-friendly.
“These reforms show intent, but they must translate into justice on the ground,” Lucky said after the meeting. He also pressed for urgent action on broader law and order issues, including drug abuse, community policing, women’s safety, and increased police presence.
The Congress leaders’ statements came a day after DGP Hooda directed the traffic police to discontinue manual challans, a move seen as part of a broader push to modernize enforcement through surveillance and AI.
Tewari, however, underscored the need for safeguards. “Technology must serve the public, not punish them indiscriminately,” he said, demanding a deeper audit of how the ICCC operates and how decisions on violations are made.
