Traffic Fines Worth Rs 12,000 Crore Issued In 2024, Rs 9,000 Crore Unpaid

Traffic fines amounting to Rs 12,000 crore were issued in 2024, of which Rs 9,000 crore remained unpaid, according to the 'Challan Report' by autotech firm Cars24.

In 2024, up to eight crore challans were issued and almost every other vehicle on the road had to pay a fine at least once. Gurugram issued approximately 4,500 challans every day, whereas Noida accumulated over Rs 3 lakh in challans in a month—entirely for helmet violations, according to the report.

"Despite strict regulations, enforcement lags behind, and non-compliance continues to thrive. The data points to a system where penalties exist on paper, but deterrence remains weak. Rs 12,000 crore in fines isn't just a financial figure, it is a mirror reflecting how often and easily traffic laws are broken across the country," Cars24 said in a statement.

Citing its data, Cars24 said its finding also "disproves the myth that one segment of road users is more compliant than the other. 55% of challans were issued to four-wheelers, while the remaining 45% came from two-wheelers".

"This near-equal split underscores one uncomfortable truth: nobody is innocent, and violations cut across vehicle types, cities, and income groups," it said.

Many Indian drivers perceive the rules of the road as optional until they notice visible enforcement, said the 'Challan Report', based on interviews of 1,000 Indians during the January-December 2024 period.

While 43.9% stated they comply with traffic rules irrespective of police presence, 31.2% look out for the police now and then before adjusting their driving and 17.6% actively surveils the roads and adjust to avoid fines, it said.

"Every traffic violation is a silent vote against civic order. If we want safer cities, we need a cultural shift from compliance out of fear to responsibility out of pride," Cars24 Co-Founder Gajendra Jangid said.

From overloaded trucks to helmetless riders, extreme cases underline an increasing negligence for rules, the report noted.

"A truck owner in Haryana was fined Rs 2,00,500 for overloading by 18 tonnes. A two-wheeler rider in Bengaluru accumulated Rs 2.91 lakh in fines across 475 separate violations," it said.

In Gurugram, the local administration gathered up to Rs 10 lakh per day via traffic fines, issuing over 4,500 challans every day. Noida issued challans of Rs 3 lakh in a single month for helmet violations alone, signalling the fact that even the most basic safety norms are ignored en masse, the report pointed out.

(With inputs from PTI).