Chandigarh, March 24 — The number of unpaid challans in Chandigarh has surged to 19.5 lakh, with 2,483 vehicles having over 50 violations each, exposing the mounting challenge of enforcing traffic rules.
Among these, 1,900 vehicles have between 50 and 99 pending challans, while 389 face 100-149 offences. Another 141 vehicles have racked up 150-199 violations, and 53 have over 200 unpaid challans each.
To tackle the growing backlog, the UT Administration had earlier issued notices to vehicle owners with five or more unpaid challans, directing them to clear their dues within 15 days. However, many continue to ignore the warnings, despite being booked for offences such as speeding, reckless driving, and traffic signal violations.
Social activist RK Garg urged the administration to adopt technology-driven measures to handle the backlog effectively.
“There is a need for the UT Administration and police to implement technology-based solutions to address the backlog efficiently,” he said, adding that many habitual violators continue to defy norms.
Traffic violations in the city are monitored through the Sector 17-based Integrated Traffic Management System, which operates around 2,000 CCTV cameras at key junctions.
In a recent case, a chronic violator with 269 offences, including dangerous driving, red light violations, and riding without a helmet, was ordered by a local court to perform 15 days of community service and pay a fine of Rs 53,800.
Another offender with 222 challans was fined Rs 43,400 and directed to do two hours of community service at traffic signals for 15 days.
His violations included red-light jumping (44), speeding (168), and stepping on road markings (eight).
