Pkl challan shocker! From 207 PUC penalties in 2024 to 27,939 last year | Chandigarh News
Panchkula: It may seems shocking, but it is true that the Panchkula traffic police issued a whopping 27,939 challans last year for pollution under control (PUC) violations as compared to only 207 in 2024. Similarly, challans for vehicles without valid or expired third-party insurance saw a massive jump from 215 in 2024 to 24,324 last year.The traffic cops have attributed the highest-ever challans for the two violations to a newly implemented software system that automatically detects these infractions. If someone is issued an online challan for a third traffic rule violation, the ministry of road transport and highways’ software automatically picks up these two violations as well. “Many people do not have these two valid documents and they do not realise that the combined challans get issued online. The PUC certificate costs only Rs 50, but its fine is as huge as Rs 10,000. Insurance-related violations also attract Rs 2,000 fine for the first and Rs 4,000 for the subsequent violation. So, it is all the more important to have these valid documents,” a traffic police official told TOI.
Besides, cases of driving without a valid driving licence also doubled, increasing from 1,000 in 2024 to 2,009 in 2025. Enforcement against drunk driving intensified as challans rose from 2,276 to 4,501, while violations related to wrong-side driving increased from 6,668 to 9,682 during the same period.Helmet-related enforcement also remained high, with challans for riding without a helmet rising from 57,877 to 64,419. Wrong parking cases almost doubled, jumping from 3,428 to 8,038, while tripling on two-wheelers increased from 2,094 to 3,677.Seat belt violations also saw a notable rise. Challans for drivers not wearing seat belts went up from 1,075 to 2,626, while front-seat passengers without seat belts increased from 642 to 1,485. Violations related to non-standard or missing number plates rose from 7,822 to 11,184.Traffic police officials said the rise reflects a focused drive against major violations. They added that enforcement will continue to ensure safe driving practices to reduce accidents in Panchkula. Officials shared that more number of nakas and other campaigns were held in 2025.Overall, traffic violations in Panchkula witnessed a significant surge in 2025 compared to 2024. Official traffic police data shows that total challans jumped from 92,213 in 2024 to 152,435 in 2025, reflecting stricter enforcement and increased monitoring on city roads.
