Bangalore, the “silicon valley of India”, is one of the most modern and cosmopolitan metropolitan areas. So, it’s not really surprising that it has seen an explosion in population.
And this steady rise in the number of citizens has naturally brought in traffic problems and long queues. Bangalore’s traffic has become some kind of a myth, thanks to all the comedians having a joke on it.
But it’s true that the number of vehicles in the city has been constantly increasing, for quite a few years now. And to exert better control, many protective systems and a new traffic fine structure was introduced on 1st September of 2019, that was then modified for the better on 21st of September, 2019.
These new fines are in place to cut down traffic violations and dangerous accidents, and so far they’ve worked out quite well.
That’s why anyone who owns any kind of personal or commercial vehicle in Bangalore should know the traffic rules and pay the fines accordingly.
They’re there for your safety, so you should try to respect and adhere to them. But mistakes and accidents can happen, and they do happen. For those cases, you must know the penalties you’d need to pay.
First Came Karnataka
In 2018, Bangalore suffered a total of 686 casualties and 4,129 injuries in total caused by only the road accidents. Something needed to change. Inadvertent driving and traffic violations were the chief suspects, as usual, behind those alarming numbers.
And those numbers look worse if seen from a macroscopic point of view, placing and comparing those numbers against the entire India.
To bring these numbers down and put a consequence for every irresponsible action, the government amended the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988. Thus came the Motor Vehicles Act of 2019 on 1st September of 2019, where all the fines were significantly increased.
Few states abstained themselves from enforcing the hiked rates, being concerned about the financial capability of the larger section of the states’ population.
But Karnataka was not one of those. They went all-out with the act.
Then Came Bangalore
The reception The Motor Vehicles Act, 2019 got was not upto the expectations. Some states like Rajasthan and West Bengal weren’t exactly pleased by it.
But Karnataka accepted those revised rates, and put them into effect just two days after it was implemented nationwide, on 3rd September, 2019. Bangalore naturally fell under its control.
But Karnataka showed that enforcing an act doesn’t mean the be-all and end-all of a law. Changes can still be made for better suitability. Karnataka did that too.
It revised some of the rates and reduced them on 21st September 2019. All the residents in Bangalore are still enjoying those rates. It’s a win-win situation really, for people and the traffic department too.
Traffic Fines in Bangalore
Now, let’s take a look at the rates of fines in Bangalore, at their current state. Both the original fine from 3rd September and the revised amount after 21st September have been mentioned:
| Violations | Fines |
|---|---|
| Riding / driving without any license | Originally it was 5000 rupees (with or without community service. The revised fine is 1000 rupees for all 2 and 3-wheelers, 2000 rupees for 4-wheelers and vehicles with light motors (LMV), and 5000 rupees for all the other kinds of vehicles. |
| Riding / driving any unregistered vehicle | The original fine was 5000 for first-time offenders and 10,000 rupees for repeated offenses. The revised fee is 2000 rupees for 2 and 3-wheelers, 3000 for LMV and 4-wheelers, and 5000 rupees for any other kind of vehicle. |
| Overloading vehicle (except 2-wheelers) | The original fine was 20000 rupees with an additional charge of 2000 per ton. But the revised fine is 5000 rupees and an additional charge of 2000 rupees per ton of the overload. |
| Speed limit violation | Originally it was 2000 for two, three and 4-wheelers and LMV or light motor vehicles, and 4000 rupees for other kinds of vehicles. The revised fine is 1000 rupees for two, three and 4-wheelers and LMVs, and 2000 for every other kind of vehicle. |
| Uninsured vehicle | The original fine was 2000 rupees. But the revised fine is 1000 rupees. But this reduced rate is only applicable to 2-wheelers. For other vehicles, the rate is the same as before. |
| No seatbelts while driving | At first, it was 1000 rupees. But then it was revised to 500. |
| Being uncooperative with traffic authorities | Originally it was 2000 rupees. But the fine has been reduced to 1000 rupees. |
| Blocking way / being neglectful to emergency vehicles such as ambulances, police vehicles etc. | The original fee was 10,000 rupees. But the revised fee is only 1000 rupees. |
| Overloading 2-wheelers | The original fee was 1000 rupees. The reduced fee is just 500 rupees. |
| Driving / Riding without a helmet | At first, it was 1000 rupees. The revised fee has seen it go down to just 500 rupees. |
| Dangerous / rash driving | Originally, it was 5000 rupees for first-time offenders and 10,000 rupees for repeated offenses. The revised fee is 1500 rupees for 2 and 3-wheelers, 3000 for 4-wheelers and LMVs (Light Motor Vehicles), and 5000 for other kinds of vehicles if it’s a first-time offense. The fine is 10000 rupees for any repeat offender. |
You can see that the traffic fines in Bangalore for all these offenses mentioned above have been cut down by the best part of 80%. The Karnataka government deducted the fines keeping in mind the abysmal economic situation a lot of low-income Indians are in.
But these cutdowns are justified, there are other fines of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 that have not been changed by Karnataka government. The offenses for which Bangalore RTO has decided to follow the amended act (from 3rd September 2019) are:
| Violations | Fines |
|---|---|
| Drink and drive | 10,000 rupees, with or without a prison sentence of 2 years (based on the severity) for first-time offense. The fine goes up to 15,000 rupees with or without the same prison sentence of 2 years for a repeat offender. |
| Violation of road safety regulations | The fine can be anything from 500 to 1000, based on the level of violation. |
| Trying to bribe traffic police officers | Double the amount originally charged as the penalty. |
| Driving with a phone in hand | The fine is 5000 rupees for this wrongdoing. |
| Honking in any silent zone | For first-time offenders, the fine is 2000 rupees. But it goes up to 4000 if it’s a repeat offender. |
| Unauthorized vehicle | Driving any kind of unauthorized vehicle can land you in trouble and the fine for that ranges from 1000 to 5000 rupees. |
| Violation of vehicular size limits in certain zones | You’ll be charged with a fine of anything from 5000 to 10,000 rupees with or without mandatory community service. |
| Racing on road / crossing speed limits | If it’s a first-time offense, the fine is 5000 rupees with or without the punishment of a prison sentence for three months, and mandatory community service. For any repeat offender, the fine goes up to 10,000 rupees with a prison sentence of one year, and mandatory community service. |
| Driving without any permit | You’ll be charged 10,000 rupees with or without the added punishment of a prison sentence of 6 months, and community service too. |
| Driving being a disqualified driver | The fine is 10,000 rupees with or without community service. |
| Violating allowed rider count in 2-wheelers | The fine is 2000 rupees for this misconduct, with the added consequence of losing the license. Community service for three months can be added by the authority too. |
| Minor driving a registered vehicle | The fine would be 25,000 rupees with a prison sentence of 3 years. The vehicle would be deregistered for one year too. Also, that minor would be deemed ineligible for acquiring any driving license before the age of 25. |
The traffic challan rates in Bangalore are significantly higher now than what it was before the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 came into force. In some scenarios, rates were hiked by almost 200%.
Some of these rates may seem over-the-top for a commoner, but pedestrians need security on the road. And one of the best ways to enforce security and limit the accidents is to employ severe punishments. Imagine yourself as a grieving family member of somebody killed by an accident on the road. These rules are there to prevent the chances of this happening to anybody.
How to Check and Pay Traffic Challans Online in Bangalore
But the government has also tried to make the payments of these penalties simpler and tuned to the modern city. When fines are easy to pay, it’s highly likely that more citizens will pay those.
The e-challan system that was implemented back in 2016 has proved out to be a masterstroke. Earlier, you had no option but to go to the police stations to pay these fines. But with e-challans, everything has turned digital.
All About E-challan:
E-challan is a completely digital solution for levying, collecting and then recording all the traffic fines.
E-challan is governed by the Transport department of the particular state or city and its implementation is done solely by the traffic police. Bangalore has been a shining example of this system and all of its benefits.
It’s an application that can be downloaded to Android devices, and also can be accessed through the internet. It’s a great initiative taken by the Government of India that helps to improve traffic services, increase road safety, and provide transparency.
E-challans are generated whenever there’s a violation of a traffic regulation. These violations are detected by strategically placed CCTV cameras.
Anytime you break any rule, you will automatically receive a notification of your misconduct and of the required fine on your registered number. After you receive the SMS, you can pay the fine online.
In an ideal scenario, you should pay the amount of your e-challan within 60 days (from the date it was issued).
In case you don’t comply, the challan will be forwarded to the court and a formal case will be opened on you.
So, it’s advisable to pay the fines in the given time limit. Just go to the official website of Bangalore Traffic Police, or make the payment through digital wallets such as Paytm.
How to Check Bangalore Traffic Fines:
- Go to the official website of the Bangalore City Traffic Police department.
- Click and open the e-challan payment section.
- In the section named ‘Traffic Violation Payment’, choose the type of your violation. It can be found in the SMS you received.
- Then, enter the registration number of your vehicle or the challan number that you were issued.
- After entering one of those, you’ll be able to see the details including the amount you have to pay.
Now that you have checked the amount of fine imposed on you, make the payment as soon as you can, to avoid legal issues that can be enforced on you in case of non-payment.
How to Pay the Fines:
- Enter the name in the specified space. Also, keep in mind to use the name of the individual the vehicle is registered to.
- Then, enter your registered e-mail ID, the name of the license holder and your license number.
- Choose any of the payment modes you’re comfortable with.
- Transact the final payment amount by giving certain payment details according to your payment method.
After the payment is done, you’ll get confirmation of your payment through SMS. There are multitude of payment options available, such as credit and debit cards, Netbanking of any authorized bank, UPI, Paytm wallet and Amex cards.
But the mobile application scenario is a bit different in Bangalore. The E-challan system works as an application in Android and as a web-centric module too.
But you can’t pay through it from Bangalore, as its assimilation in the city is unfinished.
Don’t worry too much though.
You can pay for it in another mobile based app, it’s called mParivahan. And if you don’t feel comfortable with it, you can just open the website of the traffic police of Bangalore on your mobile.
How to check traffic fines in Bangalore?
There's two ways you can do it.
You can go to the official website of Bangalore City Traffic Police: https://btp.gov.in. There you can check your traffic fines with the help of your challan number or your vehicle's registration number.
Or you can go to https://echallan.parivahan.gov.in. There, click on ‘Check Challan Status'. Enter your driving license number or vehicle registration number. If you have any outstanding dues, you'll see it next.
What will happen in case I don't pay up the traffic fines in Bangalore?
In case of non-payment of the traffic fines, first you'll be visited by a Bangalore Traffic Police Officer at your registered home address for collecting the fine.
If the fine can't be collected by the officer for any reason, you will be summoned by the court.
And in case you don't show up at the court proceeding, your license will be suspended immediately.
What is the fine for breaching a red light signal in Bangalore?
After the introduction of Motor Vehicles Act 2019, the fine for neglecting a red light is 1000 rupees.
Can I pay the fine offline even if it was issued online?
You absolutely can. If you want to pay for an e-challan in offline mode, you just need to go to any traffic police station in your city.
Which documents should I carry when I'm driving in Bangalore to avoid fines?
You must have your Registration Certificate for the vehicle you're driving, the Driving License, and your Insurance Certificate with you to be safe from any problem that may arise from the lack of documentation.
You have to carry a fitness certificate of the vehicle and the state's permit (when and if applicable) if you are driving a commercial vehicle or a transport one.
What will happen if I forget to renew the driving license?
If you haven't renewed your license and still drive, then it's a punishable offense. The fine for that in Bangalore starts from 1000 (for two and three-wheelers), and can go up to as much as 5000 (for heavy duty vehicles).
What will happen if I forget to renew the driving license?
Is a learner's license a valid document?
