In a staggering revelation from the Ahmedabad traffic department, official data for the year 2025 shows that a massive portion of the city's population found itself on the wrong side of traffic laws. The numbers paint a picture of widespread disregard for road safety rules, resulting in a colossal collection of penalties.
A City Fined: The Staggering Scale of Offences
The core statistic is jaw-dropping: every second citizen in Ahmedabad paid a traffic fine in 2025. With the city's population estimated at 76 lakh according to UN reports, this implies an enormous volume of traffic challans. In total, a record 40.2 lakh Amdavadis paid Rs 262.6 crore for various traffic violations. To put this figure into perspective, the fine collection surpassed the amount recently approved for constructing the new Subhash Bridge over the Sabarmati river.
On average, a staggering 11,010 people paid fines every single day of the year. The average value per challan stood at approximately Rs 653. This data underscores a massive enforcement drive undertaken by the traffic police, following directives from the Gujarat High Court, which has clearly led to a significant uptick in booked offences.
Helmetless Riding Emerges as Top Offender
The most prevalent and financially significant violation was riding without a helmet. This single offence accounted for a whopping Rs 134.4 crore in fines, representing more than half of the total collection. The data suggests that every third Ahmedabad resident paid a fine for not wearing a helmet.
Despite repeated warnings and reprimands from the High Court, indifference to the helmet rule remains rampant. The number of challans for this offence saw a dramatic 166% increase, rising from 10.1 lakh in 2024 to 26.9 lakh in 2025. This means over 26 lakh residents were fined for ignoring this critical safety measure.
Other Major Violations and Trends
Following helmetless riding, wrong-side driving was the second largest revenue generator, drawing Rs 36.3 crore in fines. This offence saw an explosive 290% increase in challans, jumping from 45,446 in 2024 to 1.8 lakh in 2025. Illegal parking came in third, netting the authorities Rs 34.7 crore.
Some other offences showed alarming spikes. Cases of overloading vehicles registered the sharpest percentage increase at 309%, with challans rising from 5,219 in 2024 to 21,331 in 2025. Perhaps most concerning was the meteoric rise in underage driving cases. The city registered 5,835 cases in 2025, compared to just 11 in 2024. This translates to an average of 16 underage drivers being caught daily.
However, the data wasn't all about increases. A few offences saw a decline in numbers. Violations related to jumping traffic signals, driving without a licence, and offences concerning driving without permits all logged a decrease. For instance, those caught without a licence numbered 27,576 in 2025, down from 32,209 the previous year.
What the Numbers Signify for Ahmedabad
The colossal fine collection of Rs 262.6 crore is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it demonstrates rigorous enforcement action by the traffic police, likely prompted by judicial pressure. On the other, it reveals a deep-seated culture of non-compliance with traffic rules among a significant section of Amdavadis.
The extreme jump in fines for offences like wrong-side driving and overloading indicates these are areas where behavior has not changed despite penalties. The explosion in underage driving cases is a particularly serious social and safety concern that demands immediate attention beyond just fines.
While the high revenue from fines might bolster municipal coffers, the ultimate goal must be behavioral change to enhance road safety. The 2025 data serves as a stark statistical mirror to Ahmedabad, reflecting the urgent need for sustained public awareness campaigns alongside strict enforcement to make the city's roads safer for everyone.
