The International Road Federation (IRF) has urged the centre to implement stricter measures for recovering unpaid traffic violation fines. It highlighted the massive backlog of pending challans across cities, including about 50 million in Delhi alone, emphasising the need for more effective enforcement beyond current steps like vehicle ownership transfer restrictions.
Suspending driving licenses for a set period for unpaid challans and blocking issuance of pollution under control (PUC) certificates and insurance renewals have been recommended until dues are cleared. Drivers failing to pay e-challans within three months may also lose their licenses.
While government initiatives like targeted traffic police enforcement have improved compliance, IRF noted that courts often quash e-challans due to doubts over Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) accuracy, calling for robust recovery mechanisms to enhance road safety.