No Licence Renewal, RC, PUC If Traffic Fines Due: SC
The court observed that merely issuing large numbers of e-challans served little purpose unless authorities ensured recovery of the fines.
New Delhi:Motorists who fail to clear traffic fines could be denied renewal of vehicle registration, fitness and pollution certificates and, in cases involving multiple violations, renewal of their driving licences, under directions issued by the Supreme Court.
A Bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K.V. Viswanathan directed all states and Union Territories to restrict vehicle-related services where e-challans remain unpaid. Vehicles carrying outstanding challans are also to be blacklisted on the central Parivahan portal, preventing their sale or transfer until the dues are cleared.
The court said authorities should not renew registration certificates, issue duplicate registration certificates or entertain requests for changes in ownership details and addresses when traffic fines are pending.
Fitness certificates should also be withheld until all outstanding fines are cleared, while no centre should issue a Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate to a vehicle with unpaid challans, the Bench directed.
In cases involving multiple traffic violations, authorities have been asked to withhold renewal of driving licences and initiate steps to suspend licences that are already in force.
The directions came in the long-running S. Rajaseekaran versus Union of India road-safety case, in which the Supreme Court has been monitoring implementation of provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and road-safety measures across the country.
The court observed that merely issuing large numbers of e-challans served little purpose unless authorities ensured recovery of the fines.
It was informed that against e-challans amounting to about ₹49,194.05 crore, around ₹26,175.05 crore had been recovered.
The Bench also directed states and Union Territories to implement the standard operating procedure prepared by the Union road transport ministry for electronic enforcement and comply with Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Act and Rule 167A of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.
The court had earlier discussed measures such as random checking and impounding vehicles with unpaid challans. A suggestion to recover traffic fines through electricity bills was also discussed during proceedings, but it does not form part of the written directions.
