Motorists will be asked to halt, allowed to proceed only after clearing dues; activist terms move illegal; officials say 32L challans pending
Traffic on the bridge that connects Thane and Kalwa on August 11, 2022. Pic/Satej Shinde
In an effort to recover outstanding dues, the Thane Traffic Police are planning a stringent drive, where every passing vehicle registered under the Thane jurisdiction will be stopped for verification. If any pending challans are found, motorists will be required to clear their dues on the spot before being allowed to proceed.
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At least Rs 250 crore in traffic fines remain unpaid across 32 lakh pending challans, according to Pankaj Shirsat, deputy commissioner of police, traffic, Thane city. The move aims to ensure stricter enforcement of traffic rules while compelling defaulters to comply with penalties that have remained unpaid for months. “The burden of unpaid dues is skyrocketing, necessitating a stringent approach to recover them,” said Shirsat.
Motorists penalised with challans and e-challans are typically required to visit traffic chowkies or pay their fines online. Additionally, Lok Adalats summon defaulters to settle their dues. “There are multiple payment avenues—online, offline, and through Lok Adalats—yet the pending amount remains alarmingly high, highlighting the need for a new approach,” added Shirsat.
Lok Adalat is a dispute resolution system where cases, including traffic challans, are settled. Courts summon defaulters to clear fines without prolonged legal proceedings, ensuring faster resolution and reducing case backlogs.
Explaining the plan to halt vehicles for verification, Shirsat said, “Vehicles registered under the Thane RTO, covering the Thane and Kalyan jurisdictions, with registration numbers starting with MH04 and MH05, fall under our authority. During routine traffic checks—whether for licence verification, traffic obstruction, or other violations—personnel will also check for pending dues. If any are found, motorists will be required to clear the full amount before proceeding to their destination.”
‘Many challans are bogus’
Social activist Kamlakar Shenoy has criticised the move, calling it illegal. He said, “The entire purpose of having courts as the authority is dismantled if traffic cops start forcefully collecting fines. This will lead to corruption. Many motorists are falsely fined, which is why they hesitate to pay these so-called dues. If the authorities want to recover fines, they should take the matter to court and prove that the defaulter has violated traffic rules. They know they cannot do so because many challans are bogus—this is just a way to extort money from poor and vulnerable people.”
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