Non-payment of traffic challans could lead to DL being confiscated

These are one of a list of steps the govt is going to take to curb reckless drivers after it was discovered that there was hardly 40% recovery of e-challan amounts — penalties for traffic rule breaches — and widespread non-payment.

Sources stated that the govt has also drawn up a plan to tie higher insurance premium if one has two or more pending challans from the last financial year.

Data of E-Challans

PUNISHING NUMBERS

Low Recovery of e-Challans (across states/ UTs) (in ₹Cr)

• 31.1 Cr e-Challans issued till 2025 (No)

• 40,548 Penalty amount

• 16,324 Amount Collected

• 40% Recovery

Recovery of e-Challans (in ₹Cr)

Top 5 States

Bottom 5 States

The modalities have been agreed upon after a Supreme Court directive to 23 states and seven UTs to submit compliance reports showing the adoption of electronic monitoring as specified in the Central Motor Vehicles Act.

Section 136A of the Act deals with deployment of advanced technologies, including speed and CCTV cameras, speed-guns, body-worn cameras and automatic number plate reader systems, in order to provide improved traffic management and enforcement of traffic regulations. This is for the purpose of objective detection and enforcement of rules.

Low rate of recoveries

We found that of the states and UTs where cases of traffic rule violations are high, Delhi has the lowest recovery rate of the fines imposed through e-challans at a mere 14%, followed by Karnataka (21%), Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh (27% each), and Odisha (29%). Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Haryana are some of the big states that have shown a recovery rate of 62%-76%.

Information from Sources

Sources pointed out that several factors lead to individuals not paying fines in time. These include delayed challan alerts and defective challans. They further mentioned that the govt is going to implement a proper standard operating procedure, including minimum specifications for cameras and for recurring alerts regarding outstanding challans to be sent to car owners or drivers regularly until payment is received.

More Information

For instance, an e-challan notice will be issued to a driver or vehicle owner within three days, and the recipient must accept and pay the fine within 30 days or contest it before the concerned grievance authority.

Inaction in 30 days would amount to acceptance of fault, and failure to pay within 90 days will result in suspension of the driving license (DL) or registration certificate (RC) until payment is made.

Dealing with issues of changing address

To address the long-standing problem of individuals shifting residence and mobile number and failing to give an update to the authorities, the govt will give a one-time opportunity of three months to owners and drivers to authenticate and update information on the Vahan and Saarthi portals. Subsequently, mobile number updation will be a pre-requisite for accessing services like PUC and insurance renewal, DL and RC.

Conclusion

As the government is tightening its belts against traffic rule violations, failure to pay e-challans might result in harsh penalties, such as suspension of driving licenses and higher insurance rates. The figures show a disturbing trend where payment of fines has been realized for just 40% of cases, with Delhi, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu recording abysmally low collection rates. Through the use of technology-based solutions, sending timely reminders, and imposing stiff penalties, the authorities aim to dissuade careless driving and promote road discipline. Vehicle owners must be vigilant, keep their records updated on government portals, and pay timely fines to avoid legal proceedings.

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