SC bars licence renewal for motorists with unpaid fines, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court has directed States and Union Territories to block various online and vehicle-related services for motorists with unpaid traffic fines.
• Services to be blocked include registration renewals, fitness and pollution-under-control certificates, ownership transfers, and driving licence renewals.
• Vehicles with outstanding e-challans are to be blacklisted on the Central Parivahan portal, preventing their sale or transfer until dues are cleared.
• Authorities are also directed to withhold renewal of driving licences and suspend existing ones for multiple traffic violations.
• The court noted that e-challans worth approximately ₹49,194.05 crore remain outstanding across the country.
• The directive stems from a road safety case dating back to 2012, monitoring the implementation of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

Detailed Insights:

• The Supreme Court emphasized the need for ground-level action and random checking of vehicles, with provisions to impound vehicles if e-challans are not honored.
• States and Union Territories are mandated to implement the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) framed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on October 28, 2025.
• This SOP gives effect to Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, read with Rule 167A of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, focusing on electronic enforcement.
• Electronic enforcement involves detecting traffic violations through devices such as CCTV cameras, speed cameras, and speed guns.
• State governments are required to identify and notify locations for electronic enforcement and ensure procurement, deployment, and calibration of equipment.
• MoRTH has been directed to establish a public dashboard to monitor the implementation of electronic traffic enforcement for transparency.
• The court also sought details on pedestrian safety measures along Mathura Road near the Delhi High Court and National Zoological Park.
• The Parivahan portal integrates various services like VAHAN-4 (vehicle registration) and SARATHI (driving licence) for efficient management.

Key Concepts Involved:

• E-challan: A digital traffic ticket issued for violations of traffic rules and regulations.
• Motor Vehicles Act, 1988: The primary legislation in India governing all aspects of road transport vehicles, including licensing, registration, and traffic regulations.
• Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989: Rules framed under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, providing detailed provisions for its implementation.
• Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH): The apex body responsible for the formulation and administration of rules, regulations, and laws relating to road transport in India.
• Central Parivahan portal: A centralized government portal that provides online access to various vehicle and transport-related services, including vehicle registration (VAHAN) and driving licence (SARATHI) services.
• Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988: A provision mandating electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety measures across national highways, state highways, and specified urban roads.
• Rule 167A of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989: Outlines guidelines for the use of electronic enforcement devices for issuing challans for various traffic violations.
• Standard Operating Procedure (SOP): A set of detailed, written instructions to achieve uniformity of the performance of a specific function, in this case, electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety.