Traffic Challan: You may now resolve traffic court issues virtually from the comfort of your home, eliminating the need to physically appear in court

 Traffic Challan: You may now resolve traffic court issues virtually from the comfort of your home, eliminating the need to physically appear in court

Traffic Challan: You may now resolve traffic court issues virtually from the comfort of your home, eliminating the need to physically appear in court

Traffic Challan: Only one judge and one staff member operate in each virtual court at the moment. The Virtual Traffic Court needs five secretarial staff members to handle the cases.

Virtual Traffic Court in Delhi: A Times of India story states that after being ticketed for a traffic infraction in early 2020 and paying a fine, government worker Abhimanyu was subjected to a drawn-out judicial procedure. Going to court on a regular basis was just as challenging as the lengthy lines, paperwork, and endless wait in a crowded courtroom. But in the end, he was able to discuss his perspective on the infraction and pay a minor fine online from the comfort of his home in only a few minutes over video conference. The Delhi High Court's digital ecosystem made it very easy to track the case's developments.

There are more instances being settled.

This idea seeks to resolve disputes online by doing away with the need for litigants or attorneys to appear in person. These courts assist in the quicker resolution of disputes with less resources but better time. They are for those who want to pay fines, challenge traffic police notifications, or seek a compromise. Over 2.1 million petitions have been resolved by the 11 courts in Delhi that were established to handle virtual traffic challans between April and mid-November of this year.

What's the procedure?

According to representatives of the High Court, the Supreme Court's e-committee examined the virtual court system to facilitate the electronic settlement of traffic tickets and the electronic payment of penalties. The court administration and Delhi Traffic Police have devised a mechanism that allows the offender to appeal the notice or pay the fee online after receiving an SMS notification of challan for a traffic violation. After that, the offender is taken to the electronic payment channel if they wish to confess, and the matter is immediately sent to the relevant traffic court for resolution if the challan is disputed. The Motor Vehicles Act states that the presiding officers in the Virtual Traffic Court have the authority to impose or waive fines. After that, offenders may pay their fines online without appearing in court.

This tool, however, is entirely distinct from the Delhi Legal Services Authority's Traffic Lok Adalat, where the offender must physically appear in order for the fine to be dismissed or reduced. The goal of online courts is to streamline the process for anybody wishing to challenge a booking or settle a fine. The District Courts' website has a Virtual Court link that allows the infringer to appear online at www.vcourts.gov.in. The date and specifics of the Digital Traffic Court hearing are also sent to the infringer.