Chandigarh, July 30 -- While Chandigarh may boast of strict enforcement of traffic rules with the help of its vast CCTV network and automated challaning system, it has been lagging behind in recovering fines from defaulters as a whopping Rs.102.20 crore is pending since the last five years. According to data tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, challans worth Rs.221.36 crore were issued in the Union Territory between 2020 and 2024, but only Rs.119.15 crore has been recovered so far. This was revealed in response to a question asked by Member of Parliament (MP) Manish Tewari on 'Traffic challans issued in Chandigarh'. As per the data, the number of traffic challans issued in the city has seen an exponential rise -from 1.81 lakh challans in 2020 to nearly 10 lakh in 2024. But over 18 lakh challans - roughly 61% of the total challans issued since 2020 - have remained unpaid. This even as UT has made payment of challans easier through automated SMS alerts that come with direct payment links to registered mobile numbers of the vehicle owners. The data further showed that about 1.43 lakh drivers have five or more unpaid challans, while 7,691 individuals have accumulated 25 or more violations in just five years. At the same time, nearly 2,483 vehicles are linked to 50 or more pending challans, with some records showing over200 unpaid violations pervehicle. Starting January 2025, the registration and licensing authority (RLA) had issued an ultimatum that those with five or more unpaid challans would receive notices to clear their dues within 15 days, failing which their driving licences and vehicle registrations would be suspended....