New Delhi: Seven months after the amended traffic challan provisions came into effect, Delhi is finally moving towards implementing the new system. Under it, motorists whose grievances are rejected will have to deposit at least 50% of the challan amount before approaching court.The move has gained momentum with LG notifying officers who will handle grievances against traffic challans, which is a key component in the amended Central Motor Vehicles Rules.They include section officers from various departments, food and supplies officers, tehsildars, and district transport and enforcement officers. SDMs and ADMs will function as supervisory authorities, overseeing coordination and monitoring of these officers.The system will come into force from the date of its publication in the official gazette. In April, chief minister Rekha Gupta announced that Delhi would implement the amended provisions governing traffic challans.The move comes as Delhi Traffic Police upgrades its e-challan machines and camera-based enforcement system to support the new process. The revamped system will create a digital workflow covering the entire life cycle of a challan — from its issuance and payment to grievance filing, disposal and, where required, referral to a court.“Earlier, most violators used to approach court directly. Under the MoRTH gazette notification dated Jan 20, 2026, a person whose grievance is rejected by the grievance redressal officer will have to deposit 50% of the challan amount before moving court,” said a senior official.Under the revised rules, motorists will get 45 days from the date of the issuance of a challan to either pay the penalty or challenge it online before a designated grievance redressal officer. If no action is taken during this period, the challan will be treated as accepted, and the penalty will have to be paid within the following 30 days. If the grievance is rejected and the motorist approaches court, 50% of the penalty will have to be deposited first.The mechanism will introduce a formal pre-litigation grievance stage for challans and is expected to streamline the process before matters reach court.The upgraded platform will bring challans generated through Delhi’s automated enforcement network, including CCTV cameras, into the same workflow. Officials said e-challans will be delivered within three days if a violator’s mobile number is available in govt records. In case it is not, a physical notice will be issued within 15 days.The system will maintain a digital trail of each case, recording the issuance of a challan, grievance proceedings, payments and final disposal.Traffic police are also tightening the on-the-spot challan process, with photographs of the violator, vehicle and the prosecuting officer to be made mandatory.A technology upgrade will include better image quality, an improved number plate recognition system and more accurate detection of violations involving two-wheelers, which have posed challenges for automated camera enforcement.
