Supreme Court Scrutinizes Mounting Unpaid Traffic Challans Across India

The number of traffic challans issued across India surged from 4.2 crore in 2021 to 9.6 crore in 2025, reaching 7.8 crore in the first nine months of 2026.

The share of unpaid penalties increased steadily from 48% in 2022 to 82% in 2026, prompting the Supreme Court to suggest linking unpaid fines to electricity bills.

Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of traffic violation tickets and unpaid dues, while court-referred challans faced severe backlogs with low disposal rates.