Bengaluru motorists seize 50% traffic fine discount chance, pay ₹27 crore

Bengaluru's traffic department offered a 50% rebate on traffic fines, prompting a surge in settlements, collecting nearly ₹27 crore in fines.

Bengaluru has seen a rush of motorists coming forward to clear long-overdue traffic challans following the Karnataka government’s announcement of a time-bound 50 per cent rebate on all penalties.

Within 22 days, nearly 9.5 lakh violations were cleared, raising over ₹26.97 crore, the Bengaluru traffic department said. (HT Photo)

According to the Bengaluru Traffic Police, collections touched ₹26.97 crore within just 22 days of the scheme’s launch on November 21.

The concession, which was in force from November 21 to December 12, 2025, led to the settlement of around 9.5 lakh pending traffic violations across the city. The response was particularly strong on December 12, when motorists paid ₹4.53 crore to close 1.56 lakh challans in a single day.

Rolled out through a government order, the scheme allowed vehicle owners to pay only half of their accumulated violation fines. Officials believed this reduced the financial strain on citizens while enabling the traffic police to significantly cut down a huge backlog of unpaid fines.

Appreciating the public response, the city police thanked citizens for their cooperation and sense of responsibility. In a public message, the department said people had shown that accountability goes beyond words by voluntarily clearing their dues under the discount scheme.

The amount collected this year is far higher than the ₹5.6 crore raised during a similar drive in 2023. Authorities attributed the sharp rise to increased awareness and easier access to payments through platforms such as the KSP app, BTP ASTraM app, Karnataka One, Bangalore One, as well as walk-in centres.

The traffic police had most recently implemented a 50 per cent rebate earlier this year as well, between August 21 and September 12. That drive saw an even larger response, with ₹95.77 crore collected and about 34.2 lakh challans cleared.

Several high-profile leaders also cleared pending fines during this rebate period. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah paid ₹2,500 to settle seven traffic violations linked to official vehicles, while BJP state president B Y Vijayendra cleared ten cases by paying ₹3,250.