₹205 cr recovered from traffic violators since 2019

Traffic police in Mumbai have collected ₹579 crore in penalties since the introduction of the e-challan system in 2019. The amount collected in 2023 is ₹46 crore higher than 2022. Initiatives such as approaching Lok Adalats and sending notices to violators have contributed to the increase. However, there are still over 10,000 violators who have not paid fines exceeding ₹20,000. The process of recovering fines is challenging due to incorrect contact details and vehicle registration outside Mumbai.

Mumbai: Traffic police in Mumbai have levied a whopping ₹579 crore as penalties since the introduction of the e-challan system in 2019, and the amount levied till November 20 this year was ₹46 crore higher than the 2022 figures.

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The amount of penalties collected in 2023 also witnessed a hike on account of initiatives such as approaching Lok Adalats and sending notices to violators with an ultimatum to pay fines within 15 days or present themselves before a magistrate following the filing of chargesheets, said police sources.

More than 18 lakh e-challans were issued in 2019, with fines amounting to ₹59.7 crore. In 2020, the number of e-challans fell to 14 lakh due to the pandemic. Over 37 lakh e-challans were issued in 2021, whereas in 2022, 33 lakh e-challans were issued with the total penalty amounting to ₹159.4 crore. As of November 30, 36 lakh challans had been issued in 2023, with the total penalty amounting to ₹205.8 crore.

At least 10,656 violators who were issued e-challans exceeding ₹20,000 this year are yet to pay the fines. Officials said they are taking various steps to recover pending penalties. “Notices are sent to violators and they are given an ultimatum of 15 days,” said Pravin Padwal, joint commissioner of police (traffic). Till October 30, the traffic police sent notices to 2,745 violators to pay their fines or face trial in a magistrate’s court.

Last year, traffic police had sent pre-litigation notices to violators, asking them to pay the fine or be present in the Lok Adalat, following which around ₹420 crore was recovered from motorists.

“We got a good response to such measures in the past year and many people paid their fines. Till date, we have managed to collect 51% of the total pending fines,” said Padwal.

Officials said that e-challans often fail to deter motorists because regional transport offices do not have their correct mobile number or address, and registration details are still not linked with Aadhaar. This makes the process of recovering fines extremely tedious, while regional transport offices cancel licenses. They also do not have space to keep vehicles impounded, and many vehicles are registered outside Mumbai, which makes collecting penalties difficult.