PANAJI
The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has directed all States and Union Territories to ensure that electronic traffic challans are issued only through approved enforcement devices, a move that comes amid Goa Police's admission that traffic personnel have been using personal mobile phones to record violations and generate fines.
In a communication dated May 25, 2026, addressed to Chief Secretaries across the country, the Ministry said it had come to its notice that e-challans were being issued in certain cases using personal mobile phones. It reminded authorities that enforcement action must be carried out strictly through certified electronic enforcement devices as prescribed under law.
The advisory assumes significance in Goa, where the State's traffic enforcement practices have come under the spotlight after police, officially, acknowledged that its personnel routinely used their personal mobile phones to photograph traffic violations.
The disclosure had triggered questions over the legality of challans generated through devices that do not feature among the categories of recognised enforcement equipment under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989.
Citing Rule 167A of the CMVR, which governs electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety, the Ministry reproduced the list of approved electronic enforcement devices.
Under the rule, such devices include a speed camera, closed-circuit television camera, speed gun, body wearable camera, dashboard camera, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), weigh-in motion (WIM) and any such other technology specified by the State government.
Personal mobile phones do not figure in the list reproduced by the Ministry.
The Centre also reiterated that body-worn and dashboard cameras may be used only in specified circumstances and subject to safeguards laid down under the rules.
It clarified that a body-worn camera may be used by a police officer, transport official or any other officer authorised by the State government, but the official concerned must inform the offender that the interaction is being recorded through the body camera.
