Your traffic challan stuck for months? Delhi may soon offer an easy way to clear it

Delhi motorists could soon have another way to settle their pending traffic challans, with the government considering a proposal to authorise sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs), tehsildars and other gazetted officials to dispose of certain cases.

According to a TOI report, the Delhi government is preparing a Cabinet note to empower nearly 700 officials across different departments as part of an effort to tackle a massive backlog of more than four crore traffic challans.

If approved, the proposed system would give motorists more options to resolve pending challans without having to approach a court in every case.


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Why is Delhi considering new challan disposal mechanism?

Delhi has accumulated more than four crore pending traffic challans, creating a significant burden for the existing disposal mechanisms.

A large number of these challans were generated through automated enforcement systems, including traffic cameras and surveillance networks. Others were issued by traffic police and transport enforcement teams during enforcement drives.

The government believes that involving more authorised officials could help speed up the process and make it easier for motorists to deal with contested or pending challans.

Nearly 700 officials may get new powers

Under the proposed framework, officials at the level of section officer and above across the revenue, transport and other departments could potentially be authorised to dispose of traffic challans.

A government official told TOI: “The govt is preparing a proposal to diversify the options available for clearing pending traffic challans. Nearly 700 officials of the rank of section officer and above across revenue, transport and other departments may be empowered to dispose of challans. People will have the option of approaching officials closer to their homes to get contested challans cleared.”

The plan is intended to make the process more accessible, particularly for people who may find it difficult to visit courts to resolve their pending cases.

How will the new system work?

The exact mechanism has not yet been finalised.

The Delhi government is working on several aspects of the proposal, including which officials will receive the authority, how many officials will be appointed and what categories of challans they will be allowed to handle.

The government is also expected to establish a procedure for disposing of cases and introduce safeguards to ensure that the process remains transparent.

The proposal would operate alongside the existing methods of challan disposal.

What are the existing ways to clear traffic challans?

At present, motorists can use different channels depending on the nature and status of their challans.

These include online disposal, proceedings through the courts and, in eligible cases, settlement through Lok Adalats.

The proposed system would add another avenue by allowing people to approach authorised officials closer to their homes.

This could be particularly useful for motorists with older or contested challans who currently have limited options for resolving them quickly.


Inputs from TOI