To account for the growing numbers of road casualties in India, the Central government passed an amendment to the existing Motor Vehicles Act 1988 earlier in August and was slated to be implemented pan-India on 1^st September 2019. One of the principal amendments proposed was regarding revised traffic fines.

Along with it, the Government of India is also seeking to improve the employment of a digitised fine payment method for improved regulation and audit of fines collected across India. 

Has Delhi Implemented New Traffic Fines?

Even though it is a central act, thanks to the federal structure of the constitution, state governments do have the liberty to decide upon its implementation. The new challan rates are considerably higher than what was previously in effect. Some rates have been hiked by almost 200%, which has raised concerns from all corners of India.

However, amidst such heightened tensions regarding the new rates, the Delhi government has implemented it in the national capital on the slated date, i.e. 1^st September 2019.

Are you wondering how effective these new rates would be if there is no proper enforcement? Don’t worry. The government has already deliberated upon the issue. It aims to systematically enforce the system of e-challan. 

As the name suggests, e-challan is a digitised challan.

E-challan – Digital Traffic Enforcement Solution is a government initiative undertaken by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in an attempt to enforce traffic laws more effectively and strictly.

Through this, the government has decided to nearly do away with physical challans. 

How does e-challans work?

You are cruising through the desolate Delhi roads in the nocturnal hours with no care for worldly matters whatsoever and have disregarded a red light in tandem with your blithe. But, sadly, in contrast to your mood, you are still very much on Earth and in Delhi, India where CCTV cameras have been installed across the city. Disrupting your elation, you hear your message tone calling you to a text from the Delhi Traffic Police Department notifying you that an e-challan has been generated to your name for inadvertently crossing a red light.

This is how an e-challan works.

In order to enforce traffic laws more effectively, CCTV cameras have been installed across different parts of India and also in Delhi.

If vehicles are caught violating any traffic law in these cameras, the Delhi Traffic Police shall extract the vehicle’s registration number from the respective footage. Subsequently, the police will check such registration number with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to extrapolate other details related to the vehicle, which will primarily involve the vehicle owner’s mobile number and name. Following that, the Delhi Traffic Police will send an SMS containing information such as the time, date, and place of the violation. 

Are drivers from Delhi fined with e-challan?

Yes, drivers in Delhi are fined with e-challan by the Delhi Traffic Police. In case you receive an e-challan on your registered mobile number, you will need to pay it within 60 days from the date of issuance.

What if You Delete the SMS from Delhi Traffic Police Mistakenly?

Are you doomed? No, you are well within redemption if you know how to check the status of your challan online.

You can check your challan status by adhering to the following steps –

• Step 1 - Visit the E-Challan’s official website.
• Step 2 - On the homepage, click on the “Check Challan Status” tab in the menu bar.
• Step 3 - In the following page, you need to provide the following details – Challan number, Vehicle Number, and DL (Driving License) number.
• Step 4 - Enter the Captcha mentioned there and click on “Get Details”.
• Step 5 - If no challan is found against your vehicle, it will display a message noting the same. Alternatively, if there are e-challans against your vehicle, it will be reflected in the “Challan Status” row.

You can also check the number of e-challans issued against your vehicle to track your fine obligation.

Remember that you are obligated to conclude your payments for e-challans within 60 days of its issuance; failing to do so, the e-challan will be directly sent to court. The court might impose an additional fine or declare a prison sentence of up to 3 months, or it could impose both.

There are two ways you can make the payment for e-challans – online and offline. In case you decide to pay offline, you will need to visit your nearest police station and pay the due amount there.

If you choose to pay online, let us continue from the steps mentioned above for checking your challan status.

If your vehicle’s challan status shows any pending fines, follow the steps mentioned below –

• Step 1 - At the end of the “Challan Status” row, you will find the payment option, mentioned as “Pay now”. Click on it.
• Step 2 - Choose the method of payment, i.e. debit/credit card or Net Banking.
• Step 3 - Furnish the necessary details as per your choice and make the payment.

Upon completion of your payment, you will receive another SMS of “Payment Successful” on your registered mobile number. Such SMS will also contain the Transaction ID. You can save such ID for any future reference.            

Sounds like a lot of hassle, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t it be better if there were a mobile app for Delhi Police traffic fine check? Well, there is. 

The app’s name is “Tatpar”. The app was launched by Anil Baijal, Delhi Lieutenant Governor which includes over 50 services related to Delhi police, including checking your e-challan and paying for it.

The app is designed by the Information Technology Ministry in collaboration with the National e-governance division and is a culmination of all the websites and apps related to Delhi Police.

So, know that you all about the revised traffic fines, e-challan, how to check your challan status, and make payments towards it, be ready to become the ideal citizen by not committing any traffic law violation? Because, honestly, the list sounds tiring and we are sure you would rather not go through any.