Mumbai: In a major relief measure for lakhs of vehicle owners across the state, the Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday approved the Maharashtra Traffic Police E-Challan Amnesty Scheme 2026, offering a one-time concession of up to 20% on outstanding traffic violation penalties.The move is aimed at helping motorists clear long-pending dues and reducing the massive backlog of unpaid e-challans accumulated over the years.The amnesty scheme comes at a time when unpaid traffic fines in Maharashtra have touched a staggering Rs 5,724 crore since the introduction of the state’s “one state, one e-challan” system in 2019. Traffic police data show that between Jan 2019 and Aug 2026, authorities issued 12.8 crore e-challans amounting to Rs 8,678 crore in penalties. However, more than half of these challans remain unsettled.Of the total challans issued, only 5.43 crore have been cleared, generating revenue of Rs 2,953 crore. The remaining 7.2 crore challans are yet to be paid, leaving the govt with a huge recovery challenge.Officials said the amnesty scheme is expected to encourage defaulters to settle their dues voluntarily while easing the burden on the enforcement system. Maharashtra currently has only a limited number of dedicated traffic courts, while nearly 15,000 new challans are generated every day.Industry representatives welcomed the decision. Bal Malkit Singh, adviser and former President of the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), said the scheme would provide much-needed relief to transporters grappling with rising operating costs and a growing compliance burden.“We welcome the Maharashtra Traffic Police Challan Abhay Yojana-2026. The one-time concession will help vehicle owners, fleet operators and commercial transporters clear long-pending dues, improve compliance and bring greater financial discipline into the system,” Singh said.Officials noted that Lok Adalats have traditionally been effective in resolving e-challan disputes at the pre-litigation stage. The traffic police have also proposed additional measures, including portable road-safety counselling booths where offenders would be required to attend two-hour awareness sessions. These proposals are currently awaiting govt approval.Authorities expect the amnesty scheme to boost recovery of pending dues while improving compliance with traffic regulations across the state.
