Supreme Court orders curbs on licence renewal, vehicle registration for motorists with unpaid traffic fines

The Supreme Court has ordered states and union territories to restrict various online and vehicle-related services for motorists with unpaid traffic fines. This includes blocking vehicle registration renewals, fitness and pollution certificates, ownership transfers, and driving licence renewals. The court was informed that there are about ₹49,194.05 crore in outstanding e-challans across the country, with ₹26,175.05 crore already recovered.

Vehicles with unpaid fines will be blacklisted on the central Parivahan portal, hindering their sale or transfer until the dues are cleared. In cases involving multiple violations, authorities must withhold licence renewals and take steps to suspend existing licences. The court emphasized the need for random vehicle checks and impounding if e-challans are not honoured.

Additionally, it directed the implementation of a Standard Operating Procedure for electronic traffic enforcement, including the use of CCTV cameras, speed cameras, and speed guns. A public dashboard will be set up to track enforcement progress.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.