This digitalization has transformed the ways in which we approach even the most traditional habits of our lives. The so-called ‘line-ups’ days for traffic fines have long past, and one is left with turning late to pay for violating road rules. Managing your traffic offenses, keeping track, and paying has never been easier than with E-Challan System.

In this post, we’ll take you through all that there is to know about the E-Challan system, how you can trace your fines and pay them online in quite a straightforward manner.

What is the E-Challan System?

E-Challan is an e-governance initiative of the Government of India with its electronic traffic challan, or fine system; it will now allow authorities to issue and manage traffic fines digitally. It helps trace and pay for the same online. Hopefully, through this, the government will try to avoid further dependencies of manual methods of ticketing to have greater penetration and efficiency in traffic law enforcement.

Coming in the silver screen is the ultimate easy to use platform for paying fines, getting details of violations or even appealing tickets as needed under the E-Challan system today, brought about by the emergence of smart and digital payments.

E-Challan System Process

How does the E-Challan system work? The process of the E-Challan system begins with the digitization of the issual and management process of traffic fines. This is how it is usually done:

  1. Detection of Violations: ANPR cameras and CCTV cameras will identify traffic violations such as speeding, red signal jumper, or not wearing helmets, and challans issued directly by the police officer of the area.
  2. E-Challan Generation: In case an offence occurs, an E-challan is issued electronically, along with the number of the vehicle, the place of the offence, and the time of the incident. Moreover, this challan is sent to the registered mobile number or e-mail of that vehicle’s owner.
  3. Challan for Fine: The challan contains all the details of violative offenses and the amount of fine, and also provides a link for the portal through which fines can be paid.
  4. Payment of Fine: Payment procedure of the fines is quite smooth. All payments can be done through debit/credit cards, net banking, mobile wallets, etc. An online payment provision is available through websites of concerned authorities or through applications from the departments concerned of traffic.
  5. Track and Records: After finally settling the fine, record is updated, and one receives a confirmation about payment. This payment status can also be followed online.

Advantages of E-Challan System

The successful implementation of E-Challan system has been beneficial for both traffic authority and citizens in various ways, which includes:

  • Transparency: All details of violation, which comprise the vehicle number, place, and amount of fine, are mentioned clearly in the E-Challan; therefore, there are lesser disputes and more transperancy.
  • Ease of Payment: Comparison to previous systems has never been easier. The E-Challan system supports multi-payment methods. Users can pay for their fines right from their homes.
  • Reduced Corruption: The automated system also removes as much human interference as possible, hence reducing corrupt practices; thus, all the fines are collected effectively.
  • Reduced Traffic Congestion: As people do not take much time in government offices to pay fines, traffic congestion within urban areas can be reduced and thus reduce the time consumed by people involved.
  • Saves Time: The process cuts down the time taken in issuing and tracing of traffic fines, as there are very few manual operations.

How to trace your E-Challan?

Tracking an e-challan is another feature of the E-challan system. Whether it is an automated e-challan or one that has been issued by a traffic officer, tracking the e-challan is not an arduous task.

  1. Official Website: Most of the states in India have a website where all the details regarding E-Challan are being tracked. For example, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has also created a national portal where you can get the details about challans issued against your vehicles. You can even check your state-specific traffic department website also .
  2. Vehicle Details: You will have to enter your vehicle registration number to track your E-Challan or sometimes challan number. And you can also see the active or pending fine details of violations against your vehicle.
  3. View Violation Details: After inputting the detail, it will provide with the date, time, and location of violation. With this, it will provide the amount of fine and the description of violation; either it could be speeding, parking violation, etc.
  4. View Status and Pay: In case the fine is not paid yet, the website will provide a link to pay the fine. If it is already paid then it will also show the status of payment with transaction number and date of payment.
  5. Mobile Apps: Besides these government websites, almost each state has also an application for mobiles through which one can monitor and pay E-Challan from his or her very smartphone. Just imagine how easy and convenient you will find it in terms of dealing with your traffic fine.

Pay Your E-Challan

You can easily pay your E-Challan by just following the steps given below:

1. Payment Option Selection

You will be asked to track the E-Challan after which you can make the payment. Most of the portals give the option to make payment through the following methods:

  • Debit/Credit Card
  • Net banking
  • Mobile wallets, such as Paytm, Google Pay
  • UPI

2. Payment Details Entry

Once you have chosen your payment option, enter all the details such as card number, bank account details, or UPI ID. Before you proceed ensure that you do not have any typo in all the details entered.

3. Confirmation of Payment

After you have successfully furnished all your payment details, you would cross-check everything and finally get ready for the confirmation of the transaction. Once the process is done, your receipt or confirmation will be sent to you via the website or application.

4. Download Receipt

Always download your payment receipt or take a screenshot so as to prove that you have made payments; ensure you have it because once errors come, people might claim you haven’t paid.

5. Check for Updates

The E-Challan system updates your record with an indication of clearing the fine after which you make a payment; you may always check the online status of the payment in order to keep everything perfectly right.

How to File an Appeal against an E-Challan?

You are likely to get fined wrongly; thus, the E-Challan system gives you an option to appeal on the fine. The appeal procedure might be different from one state’s traffic department to the other, but here is the general appeal form as noted:

  1. File an Appeal Portal: All states are likely to have the facility to file an appeal provided on their respective websites of traffic departments.
  2. Provide all required information : One needs to furnish vehicle registration number challan number, and a valid reason why the fine should be resented.
  3. The review procedure: The competent authorities will inspect your appeal and give a decision about the revocation or not of the fine.
  4. Wait for Response: Once your appeal is processed, you’ll receive a notification about the outcome.

Common Issues

While the traffic fine management has become very much easier with the E-Challan system, there is a few common issues that users may face:
Technical Errors Sometimes, sudden website or app failures cause failure to trace as well as pay. Delayed Updates Sometimes, after payment, the status of payment does not get updated.

  • Probability of wrong vehicle details coming up in the E-Challan:
  • Probable issues in case there is a problem in the E-Challan.
  • Contact your local traffic office if you face any difficulty.

For more blogs: sparkypost

Conclusion

The E-Challan system is yet another great initiative by the government that has simplified the whole process to track as well as pay traffic fines. It makes the entire procedure quite transparent and makes it possible to have safe, easy collections at any place in the country. Now, one can easily trace their E-Challan, pay online fees easily, and continue to be obedient to the road laws following these easy, simple steps as mentioned above in this guide.

Digital payments and online tracking make the E Challan system a much-needed move for efficient and hassle-free traffic management. So, the next time you get an E-Challan, just think, processing it is just a few clicks away!