E-challan system extended to 41 toll plazas in state

Patna: In a move to enhance road safety and enforce compliance by vehicles across the state, the transport department expanded the automatic e-challan system to 41 toll plazas leveraging advanced e-detection technology. Previously operational at 31 toll plazas, the system now covers 10 more locations.

Vehicles passing through these plazas with expired or invalid documents, including fitness certificates, insurance, or pollution under control (PUC) certificates, will automatically receive an online e-challan without any manual intervention.


Transport secretary Raj Kumar said the earlier implementation at 31 toll plazas yielded positive results in promoting rule adherence. “Seeing the impact, we extended the system to additional toll plazas to make enforcement more effective throughout the state,” he said.

The e-detection system integrates with the central vehicle registration database, managed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). High-resolution cameras scan the vehicle’s number plate or FASTag as it passes through the toll plaza, cross verifying details against the national Vahan database. If any required document is found missing, expired, or non-compliant, an e-challan is instantly generated and sent to the vehicle owner’s registered phone number.

The automated approach ensures transparency, reduces human intervention, minimises congestion at toll plazas, and deters unsafe vehicles from operating on roads. Officials emphasised that unfit vehicles—lacking valid fitness checks or pollution clearance—pose serious risks, contributing to accidents and environmental hazards.

Kumar appealed to all vehicle owners to keep the vehicles’ fitness, pollution, and insurance certificates up to date to avoid challans. “Timely renewal of these documents is essential for road safety and compliance with motor vehicle rules,” he said.