Traffic Fines in Maharashtra

Maharashtra Traffic Rules

In 2019, about 32,295 road accidents were reported in Maharashtra, which makes it the sixth-largest in India. The capital city of Mumbai reported 447 deaths due to road accidents in the year. As per traffic officials in Maharashtra, overspeeding is the biggest cause of road accidents in the state despite it being against the traffic rules. For the unversed, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 states the traffic rules that every car driver in India must follow, including in Maharashtra.

In a bid to curb the growing number of road accidents in India, the central government in 2019 amended the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The amended Act has introduced steeper fines for violation of traffic rules so that people abide by the rules and drive more responsibly. For some of the offences, the challan amount has been hiked by almost 200% of the existing amount. The new guidelines under the Act came into effect across India from 1st September 2019.

However, Maharashtra has been one of the few states that had refused to implement the new traffic challan rates as per the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019.  The state government termed it unfeasible to accept the steep challan rates in the interest of the car owners and refused to implement them in the state. 

But eventually, the government introduced a revised Maharashtra traffic police challan rates wherein the fines for some of the traffic violations were reduced as compared to the rates mentioned in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019. As a result, the traffic challan rates in Maharashtra is different from other states. The revised Maharashtra traffic police challan rates were implemented starting 21st September 2019. 

Before checking the Maharashtra traffic challan rates, take a look through the essential documents that every car driver must carry while using the vehicle.

Documents Required to Avoid a Maharashtra Traffic Challan

Every car driver in Maharashtra must carry the following car documents while driving to abide by the traffic rules:

• Car registration certificate (RC)
• Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate
• Car insurance policy
• Driving license of the person driving the car 

In case the car owner is not able to show these documents to the traffic police, then he/she will earn a Maharashtra traffic challan.

Traffic Fines in Maharashtra

Refer to the following table to know about the Maharashtra traffic police challan rates for violation of traffic rules:

In case of violation of the above traffic rules, the traffic police may issue a Maharashtra traffic challan that can be paid on the spot. But if an e-challan has been issued to the car driver, he/she can pay the fine amount online.

How to Pay Maharashtra Traffic Challan Online?

Follow the steps given below to pay the Maharashtra traffic police challan amount online: 

• Visit the official website for E-Challan Payment  for Maharashtra
• Enter the challan number or the car registration number along with engine/chassis number
• Select the captcha and submit the details
• Once the challan amount is visible, enter the required contact details
• Choose an online mode for payment and pay the amount
• Once the e-challan amount has been successfully paid, the car owner will receive a confirmation.

Traffic Rules That Every Car Owner in Maharashtra Should Follow

Take a look at the various traffic rules that every car driver must follow to avoid earning a Maharashtra traffic police challan:

• Always carry the necessary car documents while driving the car either in soft copy or in hard copy. This will help to avoid earning a Maharashtra traffic challan in the absence of the documents.
• Make sure to follow all traffic rules in Maharashtra to avoid earning a challan and meeting with an accident.
• Always adhere to the speed limit mentioned for a road so that no unforeseen car accidents take place.
• Never drive a car under the influence of alcohol as it can lead to major accidents that can also turn fatal for the driver as well as pedestrians. 
• Always wear a seatbelt while travelling in a car as it will protect the driver and passengers of the car from getting heavily injured during an accident.
• Always be respectful towards traffic police and cooperate with them. Do not attempt to flee the car when a traffic police officer signals the car to stop as it can lead to major legal troubles.