The Noida Expressway is now known as a ‘breakdown challan’ stretch, according to the police. This means that if your vehicle breaks down and causes traffic jams, you can be fined or even have your vehicle seized. This rule was created because there are many vehicles on the expressway—around 500,000 commuters use it every day to travel between Noida, Greater Noida, and Delhi.
The police can give fines between ₹5,000 and ₹20,000 under the Motor Vehicles Act if a vehicle stops and blocks the road. Traffic officer Lakhan Singh Yadav explained that when a vehicle breaks down, it makes traffic much worse, especially during rush hours.
For now, these penalties are mainly targeting commercial vehicles like buses and trucks, but private car drivers shouldn’t worry too much yet. In the first ten days of the month, almost 50 vehicles were fined or seized for various reasons, including not having the correct documents like a fitness certificate or pollution control certificate.
If your vehicle breaks down, it won’t directly attract a fine—but if it blocks traffic, then it could lead to a penalty. It’s essential that all vehicles meet service and emission rules to avoid being fined. For petrol vehicles, the age limit is 15 years; for diesel vehicles, it’s 10 years.
Traffic police are ready to assist whenever a car breaks down. They can tow it away quickly, or in some cases, help push it to the side of the road. The expressway is busy all day long, with heavy traffic coming from multiple places.
Despite efforts to manage the traffic better, including introducing diversions during peak hours, jams are still common. Some commercial drivers are unhappy with the high fines, especially when breakdowns are often unexpected.
One bus operator, Brajesh Mudgal, had his bus seized after a tire burst, even though he had parked properly and called for help. He met with the traffic officer to get his bus back but had not succeeded yet.
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