Traffic fine discount scheme ends: Karnataka collects Rs 89 crore so far

Bengaluru, Sep 12: The Karnataka government’s 50% discount scheme for traffic fine payments, which came into effect on August 23, has already resulted in the collection of crores in pending fines. With Friday being the last day of the scheme, many vehicle owners were seen rushing to clear their dues, considering it the best time to settle pending challans. The deadline ended at 12 midnight on Friday.

As per reports, by 2 pm on Friday, a total of Rs 89 crore had been collected under the scheme, and officials expect the figure to rise significantly by the end of the day.

The 50% fine waiver scheme was announced by the Karnataka government on August 21 and applied to fines registered through mobile e-challans. Between August 23 and September 12, motorists were allowed to clear traffic violation fines by paying only half of the amount.

The traffic police introduced this initiative to make it easier for citizens to pay fines and to reduce violations on the roads. On the final day of the scheme, long queues were seen at traffic management centers as people rushed to settle their dues.

The scheme witnessed remarkable collections throughout its duration. In the first six days between August 23 and 28, Rs 18.95 crore was collected by clearing 6.72 lac challans. By September 2, within just 11 days, the amount rose to Rs 31.87 crore. By September 8, after 17 days, the total collection had touched Rs 54.30 crore with 19.36 lac challans cleared.

As of 2 pm on Friday, collections crossed Rs 89 crore, marking a major milestone. Officials stated that this is the first time such a massive amount has been collected in a single scheme, which also indicates growing public awareness about road safety.