Noida Transport Dept Faces Backlog As Thousands Ignore Challan Waiver Process

Thousands of vehicle owners in Noida have not applied to have their old traffic fines (challans) cleared from the official portal, despite a government order waiving all such penalties issued between 2017 and 2021. This lack of response has created a significant challenge for the Transport Department, which has been given a one-month deadline to nullify these outstanding fines.

Of the 33,854 challans issued by the department during that five-year period, only about 7,225 (roughly 20 per cent) have been removed. This leaves 26,669 fines still showing as pending with the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), State Transport Authority (STA), and the courts, even though they are technically void.

According to department officials, the primary obstacle is the process itself. The fines can only be removed from the portal after the vehicle owner submits a formal application. Officials state there is no other mechanism to nullify the records. A recent order from the Transport Commissioner has mandated that all these five-year-old fines must be cancelled and cleared from the portal within a month.

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Compounding the issue, the department is finding it difficult to contact many vehicle owners because their registered phone numbers have since changed.

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ARTO (Administration) Dr Siyaram Verma confirmed the department's position. "All fines will be resolved within a month," he stated. "If vehicle owners come and submit an application, their challans are being removed from the portal without delay. There is no other way besides an application."