Stricter action for traffic violations is on the cards as the Centre’s revised challan rules are set to be implemented in Uttar Pradesh soon. Under the new provisions, vehicle owners will have to deposit 50% of the challan amount if they wish to challenge a traffic ticket in court.
Officials in Lucknow said the changes, introduced through amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, by the ministry of road transport and Highways, aim to strengthen enforcement and prevent habitual offenders from continuing to drive despite repeated violations. The transport department in UP is preparing to integrate the new system into the existing e-challan framework.
Shorter challan timeline
The rules also introduce a more time-bound process for vehicle owners who want to contest traffic penalties. Once a challan is issued, the vehicle owner will receive information within three days through SMS or email, while the official notice must reach them within 15 days.
If the owner wishes to contest the challan, they must file an objection within 45 days, instead of the earlier 90-day window. If the objection is rejected and the owner wants to move court, 50% of the penalty amount must be deposited first.
Stricter enforcement likely
Prabhat Pandey, RTO (enforcement), said the revised system will make traffic enforcement more effective in Uttar Pradesh. “Stricter challan provisions will help improve enforcement. Discussions are underway with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to integrate the system so that the new rules can be implemented soon,” he said.
The tightening of rules follows several cases where vehicles with dozens of pending challans continued to operate on highways.
On February 23, a double-decker bus travelling from Ludhiana to Darbhanga that later met with an accident on the Purvanchal Expressway was found to have 67 challans against it. The outstanding amount of these challan was approximately ₹6 lakh, but it was still operating on roads.
In another case, a bus running on the Agra Expressway on July 10, 2024, had accumulated 81 challans but was still operating.
Pending challans to block vehicle services
Authorities have also linked unpaid challans with other vehicle-related services. If penalties remain pending, the vehicle owner will not be able to process applications related to the driving licence or vehicle registration, including fitness certificates, pollution checks, permits and insurance-related formalities.
