Supreme Court orders strict action against unpaid traffic e-challans

The Supreme Court of India has directed States and Union Territories to implement stricter recovery measures for unpaid traffic e-challans. In the matter of S Rajaseekaran v. Union of India, the Court emphasized that issuing fines is insufficient if authorities fail to collect them.

Under the new directives, authorities may conduct random vehicle checks and impound vehicles found with outstanding fines. Digital restrictions will also be applied to vehicles with pending dues, including the blacklisting of vehicles on the Parivahan Portal, blocking ownership transfers, and denying fitness certificates or registration-related services.

Furthermore, repeated violations could impact the renewal of driving licenses. Data presented to the Court indicated that approximately ₹49,194.05 crore is recoverable through e-challans nationwide, with roughly ₹26,175.05 crore collected to date.