Delhi lawyers strike over 50% challan pre-deposit rule, govt puts new system on hold
The Delhi government has put on hold the implementation of a new traffic challan system following protests by lawyers against amendments that require motorists to deposit 50 per cent of the challan amount before approaching a court after their challenge is rejected.
The decision came after a delegation of Delhi's district court bar associations met Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Law Minister and Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh to raise their concerns over the new mechanism. The lawyers subsequently called off their proposed strike and protest march to Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu's residence on Thursday.
The Transport Department has been asked to keep the September 14 notification, which introduced the new mechanism for settling contested traffic challans, on hold until further orders. The notification requires a 50 per cent deposit of the challan amount before approaching a court if a challenge is rejected.WHY LAWYERS PROTESTED?
Delhi's district court bar associations had opposed recent amendments to Rule 167 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which introduced a new mechanism for dealing with contested traffic challans.
Under the amended procedure, a person disputing a challan has to first challenge it through the prescribed portal before the designated authority within 45 days, along with supporting documents. If the challan is not contested within the stipulated period, it is deemed to have been accepted.
Lawyers particularly objected to the provision requiring a person whose challenge is rejected to deposit 50 per cent of the challan amount before approaching a competent court.
The bar associations also opposed the transfer of adjudicatory powers over contested challans from judicial forums to executive and departmental authorities, including officials designated by the state government. They argued that the changes could make judicial remedies more difficult and raise concerns over the role of the executive in deciding contested challans.LAWYERS HAD ABSTAINED FROM WORK
The Coordination Committee had called for a one-day abstention from judicial work on September 21, with lawyers protesting at district court complexes across Delhi.
The committee subsequently announced plans for a protest march to the Delhi Lt Governor's residence on September 24 and had called for complete abstention from judicial work that day if its concerns were not addressed.
Following the meeting with the Delhi government, the committee said CM Gupta had agreed to put the notification on hold until a concrete resolution was reached after considering the lawyers' suggestions and concerns. The proposed abstention and protest march were consequently suspended.WHAT HAPPENS NOW
Transport Minister Singh said the government had taken the concerns raised by lawyers seriously.
The Transport Department will examine the representations and suggestions received from the legal fraternity and place the matter before CM Gupta and Lt Governor Sandhu.
For now, the September 14 notification will not be implemented in Delhi. The government will take a further decision after the Transport Department's review and deliberations with the stakeholders.- Ends(with inputs from PTI)Published By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Sep 24, 2026 11:06 IST
