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The Supreme Court has suggested several ways to improve the recovery of unpaid traffic e-challans across India. During a hearing on September 28, a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan discussed ways to ensure that traffic fines imposed through e-challans are actually collected. The court was informed that states and Union Territories have around Rs45,000 crore in outstanding e-challan dues, of which approximately Rs25,000 crore has been recovered.

 

This leaves nearly Rs20,000 crore still pending. The court observed that simply issuing large numbers of e-challans is not enough and that authorities need effective mechanisms to recover the penalties.

 

One of the suggestions discussed by the Supreme Court was adding unpaid traffic challan amounts to electricity bills. The idea is that linking the outstanding fines with an essential utility payment could encourage vehicle owners to clear their pending dues. However, this is currently a suggestion for authorities to examine and work out, rather than a new nationwide rule. Any such mechanism would require appropriate implementation by the concerned authorities.

The court also discussed several measures that could be used against vehicles with outstanding traffic fines. These include restricting the renewal of vehicle registration, preventing changes in ownership and withholding duplicate registration certificates until pending challans are cleared. Another proposal was to flag or blacklist vehicles with unpaid challans on the Parivahan portal. Authorities could also consider restricting the transfer of vehicle ownership where outstanding traffic penalties remain unpaid.

The Supreme Court also discussed possible restrictions involving driving licences and vehicle documents. These included preventing the renewal of driving licences and taking steps regarding licences that are already in force. Other measures discussed included withholding fitness certificates and Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates for vehicles with unpaid challans. These suggestions are aimed at making traffic penalties more enforceable rather than allowing them to remain pending for long periods.

The court also suggested conducting random vehicle checks to identify vehicles against which e-challans remain unpaid. If a vehicle is found to have an outstanding challan, authorities could take appropriate action, including considering vehicle impounding in applicable circumstances. The suggestions were made during proceedings related to electronic enforcement of traffic violations and recovery of unpaid fines. The matter forms part of a long-running road-safety case that originated from a public interest litigation filed in 2012.

The Supreme Court's observations highlight the gap between issuing e-challans and actually recovering the penalties. With a substantial amount of traffic fines still outstanding, the court has asked authorities to explore practical mechanisms that can improve compliance. For motorists, the developments underline the importance of checking and clearing pending traffic challans. Whether electricity bills or other proposed measures will eventually be used for recovery will depend on how the authorities examine and implement these suggestions.