Ahmedabad: Gujarat has racked up Rs 1,607.64 crore in unpaid e-challans since 2021, ranking among the seven states with the highest pending traffic penalty dues in the country.Data tabled in Rajya Sabha by ministry of road transport and highways, based on National Informatics Centre’s e-Challan system, show that only six states have higher cumulative unpaid challan amounts than Gujarat between Jan 1, 2021, and July 30, 2026.Uttar Pradesh tops the list with over Rs 11,331 crore in unpaid challans, followed by Delhi (Rs 11,097.07 crore), Tamil Nadu (Rs 3,601.76 crore), Haryana (Rs 2,620.53 crore), Odisha (Rs 2,167.52 crore) and Rajasthan (Rs 2,066.91 crore). Gujarat’s cumulative unpaid amount of Rs 1,607.64 crore makes it the seventh highest in the country. The ministry’s data further show that Gujarat did not register any e-challans on the national portal in 2021, with enforcement beginning only in 2022.The state’s use of the e-Challan system has expanded rapidly. Since joining the portal, Gujarat has issued nearly 1.99 crore e-challans. The pace of enforcement has accelerated significantly over the past three years. From 16.04 lakh challans in 2023, the number rose to 43.25 lakh in 2024 and nearly doubled again to 85.74 lakh in 2025. In just the first seven months of 2026, authorities already issued 51.52 lakh e-challans. Gujarat ranks fifth in the country in terms of e-challans issued through the national portal.The 2026 figures translate to about 24,500 challans a day, 1,020 an hour and nearly 17 every minute, highlighting the scale at which cameras and digital enforcement systems are detecting traffic violations across the state.Traffic department officials said recovery of penalties, however, remains a challenge. According to officials, only a small proportion of motorists voluntarily pay e-challans soon after they are issued, with many waiting until legal action is initiated.“Only about 15% of motorists regularly check and clear pending challans to avoid future inconvenience. Most others pay only after receiving court notices,” a senior traffic official said.Officials attributed many unpaid challans to outdated vehicle registration records. “In several cases, the vehicle is registered at an old address while the owner has shifted elsewhere. Many vehicle owners become aware of pending challans only when they visit their registered address or native place,” the official added.Traffic police said stop-line violations at traffic signals and riding without a helmet account for a majority of e-challans issued in Gujarat.The Centre has also tightened the legal framework governing e-challans through the Central Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026. The amended rules prescribe timelines for issuing, contesting and paying electronic challans and empower authorities to withhold specified vehicle- and driving licence-related services until pending challans are resolved. Drivers committing five or more traffic offences in a calendar year may face disqualification of their driving licence under the amended rules.
