Mumbai–Pune Expressway Faces ₹600 Crore E-Challan Backlog for Over Speeding and Traffic Violations, with Only 15% Paid
Mumbai–Pune Expressway Faces ₹600 Crore E-Challan Backlog for Over Speeding and Traffic Violations, with Only 15% Paid
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, one of India’s busiest highways, has seen a staggering number of traffic violations since July 2024, resulting in millions of e-challans being issued to motorists. Despite the widespread use of technology to track offenders, the majority of fines remain unsettled, causing a huge backlog of pending payments.
According to Hindustan Times, over 3.6 million e-challans have been generated on the expressway, but only about 15% of them have been cleared. The total outstanding amount is reported to be close to ₹600 crore.
A transport department official stated, “We have managed to settle 5.3 lakh e-challans so far, recovering around ₹90 crore from drivers who violated traffic rules. For the remaining offenders, reminders are being sent, and we are actively following up to ensure compliance.”
The violations are largely detected through the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), which was installed around 18 months ago. Overspeeding violations are captured automatically by the system, while other traffic breaches are verified before fines are processed.
Experts have called for stricter measures to enforce compliance. AV Shenoy, member of the Mumbai Mobility Forum, suggested, “The government should consider suspending driving licenses if fines remain unpaid. Penalties should also increase progressively for repeat offenders to make motorists take the rules seriously.”
