According to some media reports, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is bracing up to introduce a crucial amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
The central government is expected to make crucial changes to the Motor Vehicles Act in the upcoming budget session of the parliament, beginning February 1, 2026. The changes aimed at tightening the screw on traffic violators will ensure that drivers with outstanding traffic fines or unpaid toll taxes are not allowed to drive on national highways.
According to some media reports, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is bracing up to introduce a crucial amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Once amended, the Act will empower enforcement agencies with the authority to stop vehicles at toll plazas if drivers attempt to evade user charges or toll taxes.
According to officials, if restrictions are imposed on the approximately 45,428-kilometre-long toll road network, it will ensure that drivers comply with the rules.
What does the government aim for?
Government data suggest that India has the highest number of road accidents and fatalities in the world. Hence, the government, while aiming to make rules stricter, also seeks to improve road safety in the country. The road safety standards are to be bolstered by changing driving behaviour as well as by fostering greater respect for the law.
The amendment to be brought in the act is not coercive but rather corrective, which will encourage adherence to rules. This initiative is also linked to the United Nations’ goal of halving the number of road accident deaths and injuries by 2030.
E-Challan Collection Concerns
The current state of e-challan collection remains a matter of concern for the government. To cite data, the decade between 2015 and 2025 saw the issuance of approximately 400 million e-challans, which totalled to an amount of Rs 61,000 crore. However, an amount slightly more than one-third of this has been recovered. Therefore, the government is considering stricter and more effective measures.
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