Nagpur Traffic Police Face Challenges in Recovering ₹150 Crore in Unpaid Fines

Ziya Khan December 2, 2024

235 1 minute read

Nagpur, India, is facing a significant crisis with traffic violations, as unpaid fines have soared to over ₹150 crore. Despite the efforts of the Police Department, less than 20% of these fines are paid annually, compelling authorities to seek court intervention for recovery.Common infractions include not wearing helmets, skipping seat belts, jumping signals, drunk driving, and driving on the wrong side. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Archit Chandak expressed his concern over the public’s disregard for safety regulations, stating, “It’s troubling that we need to impose fines for basic safety measures like helmets and seat belts. People should prioritize their safety.

”While the police conduct regular drives to recover fines, the amounts collected remain minimal. The process for canceling licenses after repeated violations is complicated; although the Regional Transport Office (RTO) can cancel a license after one challan, it requires a justified proposal from the police, as explained by State Transport Commissioner Sanjay Bhimanwar.Nagpur ranks fourth in Maharashtra for traffic violations, trailing behind Mumbai, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Alarmingly, traffic violations across the state have increased by 61%, while fine collections have dropped by 9%.To combat this issue, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation is implementing an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), which will utilize CCTV cameras to automatically identify violations and issue e-challans.

In an innovative approach to improve fine recovery, the Maharashtra Government has proposed linking unpaid e-challans to the bank accounts of violators. If approved, this system would allow fines to be deducted directly from accounts, potentially recovering over ₹2,000 crore from around 40 million violators statewide.DCP Chandak emphasized the importance of voluntary compliance with traffic rules, stating, “We are less focused on recovering fines and more on encouraging people to develop traffic sense and prioritize safety.” The success of these initiatives will ultimately depend on public cooperation.