Lucknow, Sept. 16 -- In a major relief for vehicle owners, the Uttar Pradesh Transport department has decided to waive lakhs of e-challans issued between 2017 and 2021. The department announced that these challans will no longer create hurdles in services such as vehicle fitness, permits, ownership transfer, or issuance of High Security Registration Plates (HSRP). However, challans related to taxes remain outside the scope of this decision.
According to official data, 30,52,090 e-challans were issued during this period. Of these, 12,93,013 were pending, while 17,59,077 had already been disposed of. With this decision, all pending challans will now be automatically cancelled. Their updated status will be reflected on the transport portal within a month, allowing vehicle owners to check the position of their challans online.
If a challan was pending in court, it will now show as "Disposed - Abated." If the challan was pending in office but has crossed the time limit, it will be marked "Closed - Time-Bar." All related service blocks will be lifted automatically.
"This move has been taken to ensure transparency, provide timely services, and remove unnecessary hurdles for citizens. It will apply only to challans pending till December 31, 2021. Tax-related challans, serious offences, accident cases, and those linked to the IPC will not be covered," said a senior transport official.
For assistance, vehicle owners can call the helpline number 149 or visit their nearest RTO/ARTO office.
The department has also announced that progress reports will be uploaded weekly on a dashboard, and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) is making the necessary changes to the portal to ensure smooth implementation. Tax liabilities, fines already deposited, and court orders will remain unchanged.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.