Patna: The Patna high court has sought responses from the Bihar government and the Bihar State Legal Services Authority (BALSA) on a public interest litigation challenging the absence of an effective mechanism to resolve disputes related to traffic fines in the state.
A division bench comprising acting chief justice Sudhir Singh and justice Alok Kumar Pandey issued notices while hearing a petition filed by Rani Tiwari, which argues that traffic penalties in Bihar are imposed arbitrarily and without adequate avenues for redress.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Vikas Pankaj told the court that several states across India resolve traffic fine disputes through Lok Adalats, or people’s courts, including special Lok Adalats dedicated to such cases. He cited examples from Chandigarh, where a two-week special campaign was conducted to settle traffic challan cases, and from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi, where similar mechanisms are in place.
The petitioner contends that Bihar lacks a comparable system, leaving citizens with limited options to contest or settle fines. According to the plea, this has resulted in alleged arbitrary actions by the transport department, including the forcible collection of pending fines and the denial of pollution under control certificates in cases of non-payment.
The petition seeks directions for the establishment of Lok Adalats or special Lok Adalats in Bihar to hear and settle traffic fine disputes, arguing that such forums would provide citizens with a more accessible and affordable means of redress. The court has scheduled the next hearing in the matter for March 10, 2026.
