New Delhi, Sep 21: Lawyers in Delhi stayed away from court proceedings on Monday to protest changes in the traffic challan system, particularly the requirement for a person to deposit 50 per cent of the disputed penalty before approaching a court after an administrative challenge is rejected.
The protest was organised after amendments to Rule 167 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, introduced a revised procedure for contesting traffic challans.Under the amended mechanism, a person issued a challan can either pay the specified amount or challenge it through the prescribed online portal by submitting relevant documents. The challenge has to be filed within 45 days of the challan being issued.
If no objection is filed within the stipulated period, the challan is treated as having been accepted under the new procedure.The disputed provision relates to the next stage of the process.
If the designated authority rejects a person’s challenge, the person can approach the competent court after depositing 50 per cent of the challan amount in the manner prescribed by the state government.
The Coordination Committee of all district court Bar Associations in Delhi has raised objections to this requirement.
Lawyers argue that forcing a person to make a partial payment before seeking judicial intervention could make it more difficult to contest a disputed challan.They have also questioned the role of government-designated authorities in examining challan disputes before the matter reaches a court.
According to the protesting lawyers, such disputes can involve questions about whether a traffic violation actually occurred and should therefore be capable of judicial examination.Advocates have additionally expressed concern about the digital nature of the new process.
They said people who have limited familiarity with online systems, including some commercial and truck drivers, could face difficulties in filing objections within the prescribed deadline.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified the Central Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026 on January 20, replacing the earlier Rule 167 with a revised procedure covering the issuance, payment and contesting of challans.
The government notification provides a formal mechanism for handling challan disputes before a person approaches the court. The lawyers’ protest is focused on whether the 50 per cent pre-deposit condition and the administrative review process could create difficulties for people seeking to contest traffic penalties.
The issue has therefore brought attention to the balance between faster digital disposal of traffic challans and access to judicial remedies for people who dispute them.
