the amended Motor Vehicle Act came into force in September 2019, a staggering number of traffic violations have been recorded across India, with over 24 crore e-challans issued. This averages around 1.3 lakh e-challans per day, a clear indication of how rampant violations of traffic and transport rules have become. Despite the significant rise in fines, the enforcement authorities have struggled with collecting payments, with only Rs 14,298 crore out of the Rs 35,860 crore in fines imposed being successfully collected.
The e-challan data from the Ministry of Road Transport reveals the widespread nature of these violations. The fines imposed have not been limited to just a few regions but have spread across the country, with Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana, and Delhi accounting for nearly 70% of all e-challans. This data highlights the significant regional disparity in both the issuance of fines and their subsequent collection. Even as some states like Telangana have only recently begun implementing e-challans, the majority of violations continue to go unpunished, as over Rs 21,500 crore remains unpaid. The sheer volume of fines indicates that the actual number of traffic violations is likely much higher, as only a fraction of infractions result in an e-challan. An official noted, “The actual number of traffic violations is in multiples of the number of e-challans issued.” To combat this, there has been an increased focus on CCTV-based surveillance and automatic generation of e-challans, providing a more efficient and precise way to track violations.
The Supreme Court of India, recognizing the growing need for electronic enforcement to improve road safety, issued a directive in September 2023 for all states to urgently implement electronic monitoring systems. The Court also called for using footage from surveillance devices to issue e-challans, which would streamline enforcement and ensure a higher rate of penalty collection. Global research supports the idea that traffic violations decrease when there is a high likelihood of getting caught. Combined with robust surveillance, enforcement, and education efforts, electronic enforcement is seen as a potential game-changer in reducing traffic violations, crashes, and fatalities. The rise in e-challans indicates a move toward more effective traffic monitoring, the challenge remains in ensuring that fines are collected and violations are reduced. For India, the implementation of technology-driven enforcement will play a crucial role in improving road safety and compliance with traffic laws.
