Chandigarh Traffic Police has issued 39,26,545 challans to traffic violators and collected over Rs 139.18 crore in fines over the past six years, according to official data accessed by The Tribune. The figures cover the period between 2021 and July 2026.
The numbers reveal a major problem: more than 22.55 lakh of these challans — 57.4 per cent of the total — remain pending. That means over half the people who were fined have not yet resolved their cases.
Red Light Jumping Becomes Chandigarh's Top Traffic Offence
Red light jumping has become the defining traffic offence in Chandigarh, growing over a hundredfold in just four years. This sharp rise shows how common the violation has become despite increased enforcement.
According to The Tribune, drunken driving cases have also surged dramatically — from a single case in 2021 to 1,166 cases in just the first six months of 2026. This represents a massive jump in drink-driving enforcement or incidents, or both.
Meanwhile, overspeeding — which was once the top violation in the city — is now in steady decline. The shift in violation patterns suggests changing driver behaviour and possibly different enforcement priorities.
Rising Vehicle Population Puts Pressure on Chandigarh Roads
The city's vehicle population continues to grow, with more than 100 new vehicles being added every single day. This constant increase adds to the pressure on Chandigarh's roads, which remain both the most policed and the most congested per square kilometre in India.
The combination of heavy enforcement and growing congestion creates a challenging environment for both traffic police and drivers. With more vehicles on the road, the potential for violations and accidents increases.
What the Pending Challans Mean for Chandigarh
The fact that 57.4 per cent of challans remain pending raises questions about the effectiveness of the enforcement system. When more than half of issued fines are not collected, it weakens the deterrent effect of traffic enforcement.
Drivers who do not pay their fines face no immediate consequence, which may encourage repeat offences. The high number of pending cases also represents a significant amount of uncollected revenue for the city.
"The disposal of more than 22.55 lakh of these challans — 57.4 per cent of the total — remain pending." — The Tribune
Our Take: Enforcement Numbers Mean Little Without Resolution
To put it plainly, issuing 39 lakh challans and collecting Rs 139 crore sounds impressive on paper. But the real story here is the 57.4 per cent of cases that remain unresolved. A fine that is never paid is not a fine — it is just a piece of paper.
The dramatic rise in red light jumping and drunken driving cases shows that enforcement is catching more violators. But the pending challans suggest the system is struggling to keep up. If the police cannot process and collect on more than half their cases, the deterrent effect weakens significantly.
In our view, Chandigarh needs to focus not just on issuing more challans, but on closing the loop — ensuring that every violation leads to a resolved case. The city also needs to address the root causes: more than 100 new vehicles added daily means more congestion, more frustration, and more violations. Enforcement alone cannot solve a problem that is growing by the day.
The data from The Tribune paints a clear picture: Chandigarh's traffic problem is not just about catching violators — it is about creating a system where violations actually lead to consequences, and where the roads can handle the growing number of vehicles.
