Mumbai: In a major relief measure for lakhs of vehicle owners across the state, the Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday approved the Maharashtra Traffic Police E-Challan Amnesty Scheme 2026, offering a one-time concession of up to 20% on outstanding traffic violation penalties.
Traffic police data show that between Jan 2019 and Aug 2026, authorities issued 12.8 crore e-challans amounting to Rs 8,678 crore in penalties. “We welcome the Maharashtra Traffic Police Challan Abhay Yojana-2026.
The amnesty scheme comes at a time when unpaid traffic fines in Maharashtra have touched a staggering Rs 5,724 crore since the introduction of the state’s “one state, one e-challan” system in 2019. Bal Malkit Singh, adviser and former President of the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), said the scheme would provide much-needed relief to transporters grappling with rising operating costs and a growing compliance burden. The one-time concession will help vehicle owners, fleet operators and commercial transporters clear long-pending dues, improve compliance and bring greater financial discipline into the system,” Singh said.
However, more than half of these challans remain unsettled. Industry representatives welcomed the decision. Officials noted that Lok Adalats have traditionally been effective in resolving e-challan disputes at the pre-litigation stage. The traffic police have also proposed additional measures, including portable road-safety counselling booths where offenders would be required to attend two-hour awareness sessions. These proposals are currently awaiting govt approval.