‘Add It to Electricity Bill’: SC Suggests Ways to Recover ₹20,000 Crore Traffic Dues

September 29, 2026

The Supreme Court on Monday discussed measures that states and Union Territories could adopt to recover pending traffic fines, after the court was told that e-challans worth nearly ₹20,000 crore were yet to be collected.

A Bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan heard the matter while considering a plea related to the electronic enforcement of traffic violations and the recovery of unpaid challan amounts.

Matter Part of Long-Running Road Safety PIL

The proceedings are linked to a public interest litigation on road safety that was filed in 2012 by S Rajaseekaran, an orthopaedic surgeon from Coimbatore.

The petition has been under consideration for several years and covers issues concerning traffic regulation, enforcement and road safety.

Court Focuses on Recovery of Pending Fines

During Monday’s hearing, the Supreme Court was informed that a large amount of traffic penalties issued through the e-challan system remained unpaid across the country.

With around ₹20,000 crore in fines pending recovery, the Bench suggested possible steps that could help authorities improve the collection of these outstanding amounts.

Electronic Enforcement of Traffic Rules

The case also deals with the use of technology to detect traffic violations and issue electronic challans.

The court’s latest observations underline the need for effective follow-up after e-challans are issued so that traffic penalties are properly recovered and enforcement mechanisms remain effective.