New Delhi, In a bid to address the issue of unpaid traffic fines and enhance traffic discipline, the Delhi Transport Department is set to implement a stringent measure starting next week. Vehicles accumulating more than five unpaid challans pending for over 90 days will be “blacklisted.” Transport officials outlined that this entails barring the owners of such vehicles from selling them, purchasing insurance, or renewing their Pollution Under-Control (PUC) certificates.
Transport Commissioner Ashish Kundra stated that this decision aligns with an advisory issued by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in April, urging states to adopt such rules. The move aims to enforce traffic discipline among vehicle owners, contributing to safer public spaces and minimizing inconvenience.
The process involves notifying owners with a 10-day notice before their vehicles are blacklisted. The Vahan portal will be the platform for blacklisting, with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) requested to automate the process. Once all fines are settled, the vehicle will be removed from the blacklist.
A senior transport official mentioned that NIC has been formally communicated to enforce the ban, with the facility expected to be available on the software by next week. The blacklisting is governed by Rule 167 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989.
It’s important to note that this measure applies only to vehicles registered in Delhi, and there is currently no mechanism to regulate vehicles registered outside the capital with more than five challans.
Delhi, grappling with over 20 million pending challans against 5.8 million vehicles, aims to streamline traffic management through these decisive steps. The implementation of this rule underscores the government’s commitment to improving road discipline and ensuring a safer environment for the public.
