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Indian tourist receives ₹1.5 lakh traffic fine from Switzerland a year after vacation: 'Any way to appeal?'
An Indian tourist shared that she received a ₹1.5 lakh traffic violation notice from Switzerland nearly a year after returning from a vacation.
A Delhi woman has sparked a discussion on social media after revealing that she received a traffic violation notice from Switzerland nearly a year after returning from a vacation, with the total penalty amounting to almost ₹1.5 lakh.
In a post on X, the traveller, who goes by @Poan__Sapdi on the microblooging site, said she was surprised to receive the challan months after her trip and was trying to understand whether there was any way to appeal the penalty or have it reduced.
“Has anyone here received a traffic violation fine from Switzerland months after returning from a vacation? We just received a challan of almost ₹1 lakh, nearly a year after our trip. We’re trying to understand if there’s any way to appeal, reduce, or get it waived,” she wrote.
In a follow-up post, she clarified that the amount was even higher than initially believed. “We just realised it’s actually more than that… ₹1.5 lakhs in total,” she added.
(Also Read: IIT-educated founder praises Switzerland’s public transport: ‘Then comes India…’)
How did social media react?
The post quickly drew responses from other travellers who shared similar experiences of receiving traffic fines from European countries long after returning home.
One user said they had received a speeding ticket from Germany after a trip. “Got one from Germany once after a trip for 10k. Paid. But 1 lakh is crazy,” the person wrote.
Another user said they were facing a similar issue in Italy. “Pata chale toh batana pls - we have challan of approx 12-15k of Italy - unable to pay because don’t know how to pay,” the comment read.
Several users advised the traveller to take the notice seriously. “Swiss traffic fines are huge. Pay it, else they will keep on piling interest on it. You can also ask for a payment plan, maybe you can pay it over time, little by little. Not sure if you travel back to the EU, they might flag you even after 20 years,” one user wrote.
Another traveller recalled receiving multiple fines in Switzerland. “I paid 25k for 3 Swiss traffic violations in 2023. I don’t recollect the process to challenge the fine. I recollect they providing the locations of violations. Couple of them were at the same place and I didn’t remember making any mistake. I ended up paying the fine online,” the person shared.
Others recounted receiving penalties from different European countries. “Got a fine for doing 50mph in a 40mph lane in Rome. 175 euro fine. Came months later via a letter. Paid by credit card. Fortunately euro was around 80 then,” one user said.
