According to data from echallan.parivahan.gov.in, the value of e-challans surged from ₹27.48 crore in 2015 to ₹18,237 crore in 2025. In the first three months of this year alone, the figure amounted to ₹4,724.80 crore. These fines pertain to both passenger and cargo vehicles.

Another interesting detail in this data is the high share of unpaid challans. Around 63.88% (₹42,175.84 crore) of e-challans issued from January 2015 to March 2026 (worth ₹66,020.78 crore) have not been paid. 

E-challans are issued by the transport department or the traffic department, depending on the nature of the offence. Earlier, the transport department used to account for the lion’s share of challans. However, since 2017, the traffic department has taken the lead, with its share being as high as 98% in some states.

Faulty e-Challans

These changes have ruffled the feathers of India’s transporters. Many say the e-challans are faulty, unverified, and a major financial burden. The sharp rise in traffic department challans has also raised eyebrows. 

The transporters claim they are not only facing an increasing number of fines but also erroneous and multiple fines for a single offence.

My truck was passing through Gurugram in Haryana. The local police took pictures in a matter of minutes and issued three challans of ₹1,500 each

– Nimish Patel, an Ahmedabad-based transporter

Non-payment of challans results in their documents being blocked or fitness certificates and insurance for vehicles becoming unavailable. “We need clearances from the RTO (Regional Transport Office) if we want to operate; our work gets affected,” said Patel. 

The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), an apex body of transporters in the country, had written to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways last year, stating that “there are no safeguards against faulty or unverified electronic evidence, no requirement for independent judicial confirmation of offences, and stiff penalties (licence suspension, blocked transactions, vehicle detention) with minimal opportunity for defence. In effect, the burden of proof is shifted onto vehicle owners; they may suffer disproportionate economic harm.”

AIMTC represents close to 95 lakh truckers, and 50 lakh buses and tourist operators. It also represents over 3,500 taluk, district, and state-level transport associations, unions, and federations from all over India. Transporters have national permits, and such vehicles have the right to ply in any state. 

Harish Sabarwal, president of AIMTC, told The Secretariat that the authorities had the right to levy fines, but it was prone to misuse. “There are cases where the vehicle is, say, in Chandigarh and we receive challans from Assam. Or the vehicle is in Gujarat, and the challan is from Bengal. These challans are devoid of scientific proof, there is no signature from the driver or witnesses,” alleged Sabarwal. 

Protests from AIMTC have had an impact in the past, with many states having to take measures. States such as Uttar Pradesh have cancelled challans, while Maharashtra announced 50% amnesty on the value of e-challans.

But Sabarwal claims that the states made these announcements despite having no jurisdiction in the matter.

“They [the states] do not have the judicial power to remit challans,” he said. 

Concerns Raised With Government 

Presumption of Guilt Without Adjudication: This provision allows suspension based solely on ‘challan history’, treating unproven or contested challans as evidence of guilt.

Disproportionate Impact on Livelihoods: Commercial drivers and operators rely on licenses for income. Suspension after five offences, potentially minor violations, or motivated challans could halt operations, leading to job losses and supply chain disruptions.

Vague Threshold: "Five or more" offences are arbitrary. There is no differentiation between minor and major offences. These lead to over-enforcement, with owners paying fines to avoid escalation rather than contesting merit.
Transporters claim that the stated offence is often unsubstantiated. They say a mere static photo should not be taken as proof of a violation. A clear photo, which conclusively establishes the offence, should be considered as evidence. 

Rise In e-Challans

A transport official in Gujarat said on condition of anonymity that the sharp rise in e-challans after 2017 was due to the presence of more fixed cameras on the road. “There is no deliberate attempt to increase e-challans, but after the installation of cameras and the online system coming into place, the violations that were previously unreported are now being reported,” he explained.

On the matter of a disproportionate number of e-challans from the traffic department, he attributed it to more cameras along highways. Moreover, the personnel strength of the transport department is lower compared to the traffic department. “At any given point, there are more traffic personnel than transport personnel, which is reflected in the e-challans,” he said. 

As for e-challans being issued from states where the vehicle was not even present, he argued that this could happen only if a fake number plate was being used. However, if the brand and model of the vehicle were found to be different, such challans could be cancelled. 

An official in the traffic department in Gujarat explained the process of issuance, payment, and redressal of complaints related to e-challans. 

Speaking to The Secretariat, the official said that irrespective of photographs of traffic violations being taken automatically or by field personnel, they were verified and approved by authorised officers and then only sent to offenders. “Since every e-challan by field personnel is verified and approved, discretion on the part of personnel is ruled out,” he said.

He did, however, say that in some cases, a defective camera could cause technical errors, resulting in faulty challans. He said that in case of wrong e-challan complaints, vehicle owners were told not to pay till the issue had been resolved. “After the complaints are resolved, they are informed about the cancellation of the e-challan,” the official said. 

In the case of e-challans, enforcement officials need not be physically present on highways and roads as all vehicle and goods-related data is captured on the portals VAHAN, mParivahan, and E-way Bill, and is available online. 

The Mounting Matter Of Unpaid Fines

Officials attribute the high number of unpaid e-challans to the non-updation of contact details. “As messages regarding violations are sent to the registered mobile numbers of transporters, it is necessary for them to update their contact details. If these are not updated, the violators will not receive the challan details, resulting in pending (unpaid) challans,” the official said.

Tampered number plates are another major reason for non-payment of challans. Officials say drivers or vehicle owners twist the plates, distort the numbers, or cover them up in some way to escape being captured on camera. “These are mostly habitual offenders. Their challans pile up but remain unpaid,” said the official.

In a reply to an email query, Haryana police said it has launched a campaign ‘Challan Nahi, Salaam Milegi’ to create awareness about safe driving and ensure transparency in challan data. They said the challans had come down from over 200,000 in October 2025 to less than 100,000 in February 2026.  

Grievance Redressal

An online grievance redressal mechanism has been launched this year. Under the new mechanism, a challan recipient has to register a complaint within 45 days of issuance. If the challan is unpaid for 90 days after issuance, it escalates to a virtual court, and the payment can be made online. If the payment in the virtual court is not done in another 90 days (total 90 + 90 = 180 days), the case is transferred to a district court, and the payment and fines have to be made in person.

But as far as past complaints are concerned, concerns remain. A resolution to the issue of faulty e-challans pertaining to the last 10 years does not seem to be in sight.