6.2 Lakh Cars Fined Wrongly On Mumbai Pune Expressway, RTI Reveals
In a startling revelation, over 6.2 lakh vehicles were fined erroneously on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway between January 2023 and March 2024, according to details uncovered through a Right to Information (RTI) query. These vehicles, flagged for “wrong-side driving,” were mostly four-wheelers travelling lawfully in their designated lanes. The fines, amounting to around ₹12.4 crore, were issued despite no actual violation committed by the motorists.
The RTI response from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) disclosed that the error stemmed from an automated camera-based surveillance system deployed to detect lane violations. Shockingly, vehicles moving in the correct direction on the expressway were wrongly captured and fined, triggering confusion and outrage among thousands of vehicle owners.
The Surveillance Glitch That Snowballed
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, known for its high-speed corridor and heavy weekend traffic, has relied on automated enforcement systems to improve road safety and discourage dangerous driving behaviours. However, the system’s failure to differentiate between actual wrong-way movement and regular traffic flow has led to a significant miscarriage of enforcement.
Experts suspect the glitch lies either in faulty camera placement or incorrect software configuration. Cameras installed to catch wrong-way drivers appear to have captured vehicles from legitimate lanes, mistaking them for violators due to the orientation of footage or lack of GPS cross-verification. Compounding the issue, the automated system processed these images and generated e-challans without manual review, leading to widespread wrongful penalisation.
A System Designed for Safety Ends Up Penalising the Innocent
The irony is hard to miss. The primary goal of installing camera surveillance on the expressway was to curb reckless behaviours such as driving against traffic, speeding, or lane indiscipline. Instead, the misfire of the very system intended to promote discipline has resulted in harassment for lakhs of unsuspecting motorists.
For many car owners, the fines came as a complete surprise. Notices were issued weeks after the alleged violations, with little clarity on where, when, or how the offence occurred. Given the hassle of disputing an e-challan and the lack of an easy redressal mechanism, many chose to pay the fine to avoid further delays, effectively funding a faulty enforcement process.
How Did This Go Unnoticed for So Long?
The scale of the error raises serious questions about oversight and accountability. Over 6 lakh vehicles fined within 15 months implies an average of nearly 1,300 wrongful challans issued per day. Despite such a high volume, no corrective action was initiated until the RTI exposed the issue.
The lack of manual verification or secondary checks before issuing the fines points to systemic shortcomings. Moreover, this has undermined public trust in technology-driven traffic enforcement, a model that many cities and highway authorities have been aggressively pushing in the name of safety and efficiency.
What Happens Next?
Following the RTI revelation and ensuing public backlash, the MSRDC has reportedly initiated corrective measures. These include re-calibrating the camera angles and reviewing the enforcement software. Authorities have also said they would look into refunding fines paid by motorists wrongly penalised, although no timeline has been officially confirmed.
What remains unclear is how such a large-scale error went undetected despite regular operations and reporting. There is also the question of accountability: who bears the responsibility for the financial and reputational damage to the public?
Motorists Caught Between Automation and Accountability
Online forums have seen an influx of users sharing experiences about dubious challans received from expressway travel, with many suspecting the fines were unjustified but lacking the means to contest them. This incident shines a light on the growing reliance on surveillance systems in traffic management, where technology is treated as infallible, but oversight remains weak.
As cities and highway authorities move towards AI-enabled traffic systems, it is imperative that these tools are not only accurate but also supported by robust appeal mechanisms. Technology without accountability can turn well-meaning safety interventions into sources of distress for law-abiding citizens.
For now, drivers on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway are left wondering whether the next fine they receive will be for something they never did. The larger question for policymakers is this: can road safety and public trust go hand-in-hand when technology becomes the judge, jury, and executioner?