Delhi new traffic challan system: 50% payment required before appeal, designated officers to dispose grievances

Delhi is set to implement the amended traffic challan system, under which motorists whose challan grievances are rejected will have to deposit 50% of the penalty before approaching a court. The move comes seven months after the amended provisions came into effect and follows the notification of officers who will handle traffic challan grievances.

Officers notified to handle challan grievances

The Lieutenant Governor has notified officers who will deal with complaints against traffic challans under the amended Central Motor Vehicles Rules. The designated officers include section officers from different departments, food and supplies officers, tehsildars, and district transport and enforcement officers.

Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and Additional District Magistrates (ADMs) will act as supervisory authorities. They will oversee coordination and monitor the work of the designated grievance officers. The new system will become operational from the date it is published in the official gazette. In April, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had announced that Delhi would implement the amended provisions related to traffic challans.

50% challan payment before going to court

Under the revised process, vehicle owners will have 45 days from the date a challan is issued to either pay the penalty or challenge it online before the designated grievance redressal officer. If the motorist does not take any action within 45 days, the challan will be treated as accepted. The penalty will then have to be paid within the next 30 days.

If the grievance is rejected and the motorist decides to approach court, 50% of the challan amount will have to be deposited before the case can move forward. “Earlier, most violators used to approach court directly. Under the MoRTH gazette notification dated Jan 20, 2026, a person whose grievance is rejected by the grievance redressal officer will have to deposit 50% of the challan amount before moving court,” said a senior official.

The process creates a formal grievance stage before a challan-related matter reaches court. The system is intended to handle disputes through the designated mechanism before litigation.

Delhi Traffic Police upgrades e-challan system

The Delhi Traffic Police is upgrading its e-challan machines and camera-based enforcement system as part of the implementation. The revamped system will create a digital workflow covering the full life cycle of a challan. This will include issuance, payment, grievance filing, disposal and, where required, referral to a court.

Challans generated through Delhi's automated enforcement network, including CCTV cameras, will also be brought into the same digital process. Officials said e-challans will be delivered within three days when the mobile number of the violator is available in government records. If the number is not available, a physical notice will be issued within 15 days.

Digital record of challan cases

The new system will maintain a digital trail for each challan. It will record when the challan was issued, details of grievance proceedings, payments and the final disposal of the case. This will allow the different stages of a challan to be tracked through a single digital workflow.

Photos to be mandatory for on-the-spot challans

The traffic police is also tightening the procedure for challans issued on the spot. Photographs of the violator, vehicle and prosecuting officer will be made mandatory as part of the process.

The technology upgrade will also bring improvements to image quality and number plate recognition. The system will be designed to improve the detection of traffic violations involving two-wheelers, which have been difficult for automated camera-based enforcement systems to identify accurately.