The Supreme Court on Thursday directed states and Union territories to restrict a range of vehicle-related services when traffic fines remain unpaid, including renewal of vehicle registration, issuance of fitness and pollution-under-control (PUC) certificates, ownership transfers and renewal of driving licences. The bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan also directed authorities to blacklist vehicles with outstanding e-challans on the central Parivahan portal, preventing their sale or transfer until the dues are cleared. The directions form part of the court’s continuing monitoring of road-safety enforcement and are aimed at ensuring that electronic challans result in actual recovery of penalties.
The court noted that simply issuing thousands or lakhs of e-challans would serve little purpose if authorities were unable to recover the fines. The bench was informed that approximately ₹49,194.05 crore remained outstanding against e-challans issued over a period of time, while around ₹26,175.05 crore had been recovered. The Supreme Court therefore directed authorities to strengthen the enforcement mechanism and ensure that unpaid penalties have consequences for vehicle-related services. It specifically said no centre should be permitted to issue a PUC certificate for a vehicle with pending traffic fines.
For vehicles associated with multiple traffic violations, the court directed that steps be taken to prevent renewal of the driving licence and to suspend an existing licence where applicable. It also directed states and UTs to implement the Standard Operating Procedure prepared by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in October 2025 and comply with Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, read with Rule 167A of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules. These provisions provide for electronic monitoring and enforcement of road-safety rules through technologies including speed cameras, CCTV cameras and speed guns. States have been asked to identify enforcement locations and complete the procurement, deployment and calibration of the necessary equipment.
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The bench also emphasised that electronic enforcement should not end with the generation of an e-challan. It directed authorities to conduct random checks of vehicles and take necessary steps, including impounding vehicles, when they are found to have unpaid e-challans. The court referred to a 2026 amendment to Rule 21(25), under which committing five or more offences or contraventions under the Motor Vehicles Act or related rules within one year constitutes an act of nuisance or danger to the public. The National Road Safety Board has also been directed to monitor implementation of the electronic enforcement framework across states and Union territories.
The Supreme Court’s directions came in a road-safety case that has been before the court since 2012, with the bench continuing to monitor implementation of provisions under the Motor Vehicles Act and Central Motor Vehicles Rules. During Thursday’s proceedings, the judges also raised concerns about compliance with earlier directions, particularly in Delhi, where measures had been ordered to improve pedestrian safety near the Delhi High Court and the National Zoological Park. The court directed the Delhi chief secretary to file a compliance report and indicated that personal appearance could be required if the directions were not implemented. The bench has also asked for a comprehensive chart showing its earlier road-safety directions, deadlines and implementation status.
The court further considered enforcement against overloaded vehicles and directed authorities to ensure that an overloaded transport vehicle cannot continue its journey until the excess load is removed. It also called for stronger integration of weighing systems with electronic enforcement and toll-management systems so that action cannot be avoided merely because a vehicle is registered in another state. The proceedings additionally covered pedestrian infrastructure, including implementation of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Universal Footpath Policy. Together, the directions underline the Supreme Court’s focus on moving road-safety enforcement beyond issuing challans and towards mechanisms that ensure compliance and recovery of penalties.
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