Punjab tightens noose on traffic violators: Challans see 3-fold jump, fines hit decade-high at ₹20cr in 1st quarter
In the first quarter of 2025, Punjab collected ₹20.06 crore in fines — its highest-ever earnings from traffic violations in past one decade
Tightening the noose around traffic violators, Punjab Police have registered 3,61,952 challans in the first three months of the year, a three-fold jump from the last year when the figure was 1,01,305 in the corresponding period, according to an official data.
This year’s tally is already nearing the total number of challans issued throughout all of 2024, according to the data.
Not just the number of violations, but revenue from fines has also surged. In the first quarter of 2025, the state collected ₹20.06 crore in fines — its highest-ever earnings from traffic violations in past one decade. Last year, the amount stood at ₹7.54 crore for the same period.
According to the data, ₹34 crore compounding fee was collected in 2021-22 in Punjab. The figure fell to ₹29 crore in 2022-23 and the state collected ₹42to ₹45 crore compounding fee on an average between 2014-15 and 2019-20.
Haryana, on the other hand, collected ₹997 crore from compounding fee for traffic challans in 2023.
Punjab special DGP (law and order) Arpit Shukla attributed the sharp rise in challans and fines to intensified enforcement and routine traffic checks. “In many cases, gangsters and other anti-social elements use illegal or defaulted vehicles to evade detection. Over the past few months, our nakabandis have increased with clear directives to target suspicious individuals and traffic offenders,” he said.
The crackdown has also led to a spike in vehicle impoundments. In the first three months of 2025, the police impounded 5,893 vehicles — compared to around 700 during the same period last year.
To bolster enforcement, Punjab Police have recently procured a large number of digital challan machines, which have been distributed not only to traffic police personnel but also to regular police stations across the state, said a senior official.
District police chiefs and commissioners of police have been asked to submit daily report on the challan of traffic violators, the official said.
