At least Rs 4,684.95 crore – three times of Rs 1,702.64 crore in 2020-21 – are to be recovered from the e-challans issued for traffic rules violation across the country as of 2022-23, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways data analysed by News18 shows.
The Ministry data shows that the pending amount has been increasing consistently over the past three years – Rs 1,702.64 crore in 2020-21, Rs 2,373.25 crore in 2021-22 and Rs 4,684.95 crore in 2022-23.
Speaking to News18, a Ministry official said that people are not paying the challans that were issued to them.
“With the help of technology, we are able to trace the traffic violators. However, people are not only flouting the rules, but are also not paying the penalties on time,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
RISE IN E-CHALLANS ISSUED AND PENALTIES COLLECTED
According to the Ministry, in 2022-23, at least 4.50 crore e-challans were issued across India through the e-challan portal. This was around 50% more compared to 2020-21.
The Ministry data also shows that penalties recovered for violation of traffic rules has also gone up from Rs 1,592.30 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 3,024.87 crore in 2022-23.
The government implemented the e-challan system to effectively check violations such as drink driving, speeding and other traffic laws. It is an integrated information technology based enforcement solution to manage traffic laws violations.
E-challan system has been implemented across several states in India.
Over the years, e-challans have become common with the enhancement of technology. E-challans offer an end-to-end automated system with digital interface for all stakeholders in purview of challan ecosystem. The application offers customised interfaces for the enforcement officers, citizens, state transport office, regional transport/traffic office and the Ministry of Road and Transport.
By connecting all stakeholders through a common system, the Ministry is now able to manage data integrity, reliability and transparency.