Nagpur: Facing a massive backlog of unpaid traffic fines, the Nagpur Traffic Police are gearing up for an extensive recovery drive to collect nearly Rs 300 crore in pending e-challans, officials said. The move comes amid growing concern over the rising number of traffic violations and the poor compliance of motorists in clearing penalties.
Official data reveals that over 35 lakh traffic challans issued during the last seven years remain unpaid, pointing to a significant gap in enforcement and accountability on the city’s roads.
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Mar 7th, 2026 - Time 11.45Hrs
According to the Traffic Department, between 2019 and March 5, 2026, a total of 59,93,438 e-challans were issued for various violations, amounting to Rs 400.43 crore in penalties. However, motorists have cleared only 21,78,269 challans, generating a revenue of Rs 106.21 crore for the department.
This leaves 35,05,290 challans still pending, with Rs 294.22 crore yet to be recovered.
Officials say the scale of the problem becomes even more striking when compared with the city’s vehicle population. Nagpur has just over 31 lakh registered vehicles, yet the number of challans issued exceeds this figure, indicating frequent and repeated violations by motorists.
The recovery statistics paint a worrying picture. Only 36.34 per cent of the total challans issued have been paid, while 58.47 per cent remain pending. The situation is even worse in terms of revenue recovery, with just 26.53 per cent of the total penalty amount collected so far, leaving nearly three-fourths of the fines unpaid.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Lohit Matani said the department will soon initiate a systematic recovery process by issuing formal notices to vehicle owners and habitual offenders who have failed to pay their dues.
“Motorists who receive notices will be given a stipulated time to clear their pending fines. If they fail to comply, strict action may follow, including suspension of driving licences or prosecution in court,” Matani said.
The figures also reflect an aggressive increase in traffic enforcement over the past few years. In 2024, traffic police issued 12,51,170 challans worth Rs 111.15 crore, but only 2,12,840 were paid, leaving the bulk of penalties unpaid.
Similarly, in 2025, authorities issued 10,03,081 challans amounting to Rs 102.8 crore, with a large portion still pending.
The trend has continued in the current year as well. Between January 1 and March 5, 2026, the Traffic Department has already issued 1,18,193 challans worth Rs 11.77 crore, indicating that traffic violations remain rampant across the city.
Officials said the upcoming recovery drive aims not only to collect the massive pending dues but also to strengthen compliance with traffic laws and deter habitual offenders.
Meanwhile, the Traffic Police have urged citizens to check their e-challan status online and clear any pending fines promptly to avoid legal action during the enforcement drive.
