The Bihar government has announced a significant relief measure for the state's residents by approving a one-time settlement scheme for long-pending traffic challans. This citizen-friendly decision aims to provide substantial financial relief and help clear the backlog of old e-challans.
Cabinet approval and implementation
At a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, the government approved the One-Time Traffic Challan Settlement Scheme-2026 under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. A gazette notification was issued on Thursday, bringing the scheme into immediate effect. It will remain valid throughout the financial year 2026-27.
Key features of the scheme
Under the scheme, individuals can settle pending e-challans related to various traffic violations by paying only 50% of the original penalty amount. The violations covered include riding without a helmet, not wearing a seat belt, driving without insurance, and other breaches of traffic rules. The scheme primarily covers e-challans that have been pending for more than 90 days. These cases will be disposed of through the National Lok Adalat, ensuring a quicker and hassle-free resolution.
Minimum compounding amounts
The Bihar government has also notified minimum compounding amounts for different categories of offences through the Bihar Gazette (Extraordinary) dated April 30, 2026. The detailed schedule includes a wide range of traffic violations, covering:
- Breaches of traffic rules
- Driving without proper documents
- Overspeeding
- Driving by unauthorised or underage persons
- Helmet and seat belt violations
- Mobile phone use while driving
- Red-light jumping
- Pollution control violations
- Other common infractions
Separate minimum settlement amounts have been fixed for different types of vehicles, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, light motor vehicles, medium motor vehicles, and heavy motor vehicles. These amounts generally start from Rs 500 and vary depending on the nature and seriousness of the offence.
Expected benefits
Officials of the transport department stated, "This one-time settlement scheme is expected to bring major relief to lakhs of vehicle owners in Bihar. Many people will now be able to clear their old pending challans by paying significantly reduced amounts. This will also remove long-standing difficulties in vehicle-related formalities such as renewal of documents or transfer of ownership."
For the department, the scheme is expected to enable faster recovery of pending revenue while reducing the backlog of cases. The government hopes this relief measure will also promote greater awareness and compliance with traffic rules among citizens.
How to avail the scheme
The Bihar government has urged all citizens with pending e-challans to take maximum advantage of the scheme at the earliest through the designated process, which includes virtual courts and the National Lok Adalat mechanism.
