Between January 2019 and August 2026, traffic units in Maharashtra issued 12.8 crore challans. More than half of those have not been cleared
Similarly, this year, discounts were announced in June-July and the traffic police were able to recover Rs 18.15 crores from offenders, closing 6 lakh traffic violation cases. But after discounts were announced, there was a noticeable change.
More offenders showed an interest in paying fines,” said an IPS officer. If he still does not pay up, then the case is transferred to the additional chief judicial magistrate for prosecution,” said an official. Bengaluru was one of the first Indian cities to generate e-challans through the rollout of its contactless enforcement project, but the authorities were finding it challenging to collect penalties from motorists. Then Bengaluru Police hit upon an idea — they started to offer discounts and rebates on payments of dues. “People paying up fines voluntarily were fewer in number. “The Motor Vehicle Department of Kerala sends a text to the motorist concerned, once a challan is generated, and if the motorist fails to pay the fine, the case is transferred to the judicial first class magistrate court. Typically, motorists pay fines once the case reaches court or if he/ she is unable to process any vehicle-related services.
Mumbai: Unpaid fines for traffic violations across Maharashtra have reached a staggering Rs 5,724 crore in seven years since the launch of the ‘one state, one e-challan system’, according to traffic police data. Maharashtra traffic police have proposed a slew of solutions to turn things around, but are waiting for a nod from the government before these can be implemented. * According to a notification issued in January 2026 by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, a motorist will have 45 days to contest a challan if he does not accept it. Once 45 days are over, it will be assumed that he has accepted the challan
Explaining how Delhi handles e-challan matters, a senior police officer said: “Delhi courts hear traffic cases for two hours in the evenings on weekdays, besides separate weekend courts, to push through high volumes of cases quickly. We could adopt something similar. He can contest the challan online with documentary evidence within this period.