SC Flags ₹45,000 Crore Pending Traffic Challans, Suggests Recovery Measures

The Supreme Court has stressed the need for concrete measures to recover unpaid traffic challans, observing that merely issuing e-challans is not enough.

During a hearing, Justice JB Pardiwala suggested exploring measures such as linking unpaid challans to other government dues, including electricity bills. The court clarified that this was only a suggestion during the hearing and not a direction for implementation.

The court was informed that around ₹45,000 crore in e-challan dues remain pending across states and Union Territories, while approximately ₹25,000 crore has been recovered.

The bench also suggested measures including blocking the renewal or transfer of vehicle registrations linked to unpaid challans, withholding fitness and PUC certificates, restricting driving licence renewal, blacklisting vehicles on the Parivahan portal, and conducting random vehicle checks, with impounding considered where necessary.

Justice Pardiwala said authorities must develop practical mechanisms to ensure that traffic penalties imposed through the e-challan system are actually recovered.