Chandigarh, Aug. 7 -- Even though Punjab has so far rolled out the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS)-based automatic e-challan system in only three cities-Mohali, Jalandhar and Ludhiana-the state has witnessed an unprecedented surge in electronic traffic enforcement. Fuelled primarily by AI-powered surveillance in these cities, the number of e-challans issued for traffic violations has increased nearly 28-fold over the past five years.

However, the rapid expansion of digital enforcement has been accompanied by a sharp rise in unpaid penalties, with outstanding e-challan dues touching Rs.159.31 crore as of July 30, 2026, according to data tabled in the Rajya Sabha.

Data released by the Union ministry of road transport and high...