Mumbai Traffic Police to Seize Vehicles and File Cases as Unpaid Fines Cross Rs.700 Crore

The Mumbai Traffic Police is cracking down on unpaid traffic fines, which have crossed ₹700 crore. Under a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), vehicles will be seized, and criminal cases will be filed if owners ignore pending e-challans.

For serious violations like drunk driving and reckless driving, the police will quickly file charge sheets. For minor offences, fines can still be paid via e-challans. If owners refuse to pay, cases will be taken to court. Vehicles can also be seized if drivers don’t have necessary documents like licences, registration papers, or permits for commercial vehicles.

Despite offering payment options like the MahaTraffic app, PayTM, and cash, many fines remain unpaid. To tackle this, the police held roadblocks (nakabandis) at 107 spots on Sunday from midnight to 5 am. They checked 6,369 vehicles, registered 1,831 cases, seized 28 auto rickshaws without documents, and caught 70 drunk drivers.

On Saturday, the police worked with Lok Adalat and recovered ₹17.26 crore in fines from 230,175 motorists after sending pre-litigation notices. In the past year, ₹500 crore has been recovered through five Lok Adalat sessions, with a success rate of over 50% for fines issued since 2016.

These efforts aim to improve road safety and traffic discipline. However, some motorists have complained that officers are using personal phones to issue e-challans instead of official devices. The department has promised to address this issue.