A proud part of the National Capital Region, Noida is one of the fastest-growing areas in Uttar Pradesh. The city has an extensive network of flyovers, national highways, roads and metro. Well connected to Delhi, Noida witnesses to and fro movement of thousands of vehicles every day, thanks to several corporate offices, film city and industrial areas. With a population that is about to touch a million, the city manages some of the most congested road networks that keep both traffic personnel and digital traffic violation detection systems on their toes. As per recent data, Noida Traffic police issued over 28 lakh challans in 2024 alone, showcasing a substantial rise in traffic violations, for which one of the biggest causes is the lack of awareness and ignorance of the law. From overweight vehicles to disobeying traffic regulations, there are several traffic rules that you must be aware of to drive safely in and around Noida. Therefore in this article, we have compiled a brief list of common traffic rules, challans, and fines so that you know what not to do the next time you are on the road.
Noida Traffic Rules and Fines: Governing Law
The Motor Vehicle Act 1988 is the central statute that regulates and governs almost every aspect of road transport, including penalties for traffic violations. The Motor Vehicle Act, being a central legislation, applies to all states across India, including Noida and the rest of Uttar Pradesh. In 2019, the Motor Vehicle Act was also amended by the central government to further strengthen the enforcement of the act and enhance the penalties for almost every traffic violation to reduce traffic violations and fatal accidents across the nation. Traffic regulations, challans, rules, regulations, and penalties under the Motor Vehicle Act can be categorised into several heads based on offences related to vehicle maintenance, driving, documentation, etc.
Traffic Violations Related to Driving
Much like other major cities, Noida stays abreast of the digital revolution that India has adopted to tackle traffic violations. It uses a blend of both digital and manual traffic violation detection systems, including AI-infused traffic monitoring cameras, Over Speed Violation Detection (OSVD) Cameras, and the good old network of on-field traffic personnel. With a rise in traffic challans each year, traffic violations are heavily penalised and strictly dealt with in Noida. Therefore it is important to know the list of common driving-related violations that are commonly penalised in Noida as per the Motor Vehicle Act.
Overspeeding
Dealt with under Section 183 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving or causing a motor vehicle to be driven at speeds exceeding the requisite speed limit is an act of overspeeding, which is punished with:
- A fine of Rs. 1,000 to 2,000 in the case of Light Motor Vehicles for the first offence.
- A fine of Rs. 2,000 to 4,000 in the case of Medium/Heavy Goods Vehicle or Medium/Heavy Passenger Vehicle for the first offence.
- Impounding of License for the second and every subsequent offence.
- In addition to the penalty and fine, the offender may also be liable to render community service, which was a step added in 2019 to instil a sense of community responsibility in offenders.
Since Noida is marked with several open areas and wide connecting roads, overspeed is a major cause of concern for Noida Traffic Police. Several speeding-prone areas and junctions in and around Noida are often barricaded with zig-zag barriers to curb overspeeding.
Dangerous Driving
Dealt with under Section 184 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving a motor vehicle at high speeds or in any manner that is dangerous to the public, including the offence of red-light jumping, use of mobile while driving, stop-sign traffic violation, unlawful overtake, wrong side driving will constitute an offence of dangerous driving, which is punished with:
- Imprisonment for a term not less than 6 months but which may extend to 1 year (for the first offence) or
- With a fine not less than Rs. 1,000 but which may extend to Rs. 5,000 (for the first offence) or
- With Both (for the first offence)
- Imprisonment that may extend to 2 years (for the second/subsequent offence within 3 years of the first offence) or
- With a fine that may extend to Rs. 10,000 (for the second/subsequent offence within 3 years of the first offence) or
- With Both (for the second/subsequent offence within 3 years of the first offence)
- In addition to the penalty and fine, the offender may also be liable to render community service.
With an extensive network of roads serving both rural and urban areas in Noida, wrong-lane driving has become a major traffic violation in Noida. Due to this, the Noida Traffic Police repeatedly runs campaigns to prevent wrong-lane driving and associated accidents. As per recent data, the Noida Traffic Police issued as many as 400 challans for wrong-lane driving on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway alone in a month-long drive conducted between December 2024 and January 2025.
Drunk Driving
Dealt with under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving under the influence of Alcohol and/or Drugs constitutes the offence of Drunk Driving, which is a strict offence and entails a penalty of:
- Imprisonment of up to 6 months (for the first offence) or
- With a fine of Rs. 10,000 (for the first offence) or
- With Both (for the first offence)
- Imprisonment of up to 2 Years (for the second/subsequent offence) or
- With a fine of Rs. 10,000 (for the second/subsequent offence) or
- With Both (for the second/subsequent offence)
Since Noida is home to a plethora of restaurants, hotels, lounges, clubs, pubs, and even farmhouses that thrive especially during the weekend, drunk driving constitutes one of the most common causes of fatal accidents and mishaps. Therefore it is always advised to either book a cab or have a chauffeur along every time you plan to go on an outing that involves alcohol consumption.
Driving in Excess of Permissible Weight Limit
Dealt with under Section 194 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving a motor vehicle or causing it to be driven with weight exceeding the permissible weight limit constitutes the offence of driving over the permissible weight limit, which is punished with:
- A fine of Rs. 20,000 along with
- A fine of Rs. 2,000 per tonne of excess load
With Noida having a wide array of roads connecting it to the capital used to move both passengers as well as goods, it is important to keep vehicles under the permissible weight limit, especially when it comes to commercial vehicles.
Driving with Excess Passenger
Dealt with under Section 194A of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving with more passengers than what the registration certificate of the vehicle specifies constitutes the offence of driving with Excess Passengers, which is punished with:
- A fine of Rs. 200 for every excess passenger
Driving Without a Seat Belt
Dealt with under Section 194B of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving without wearing a seat belt constitutes the offence of driving without a seat belt, which is punished with:
- A fine of Rs. 1,000
Failure to Give Way to Emergency Vehicles
Dealt with under Section 194E of the Motor Vehicle Act, whoever fails to give way to an emergency vehicle such as a fire brigade or an ambulance etc. by drawing their motor vehicle to the side of the road constitutes the offence of failure to give way to an emergency vehicle, which is punished with:
- Imprisonment of up to 6 months or
- A fine of Rs. 10,000 or
- Both
Violating Traffic Rules
Dealt with under Section 177A of the Motor Vehicle Act, traffic violation of any road regulation shall constitute an offence of volition traffic rules, which is punished with:
- A fine of Rs. 500 to 1,000
Often ignored, section 177A of the Motor Vehicle Act is a great tool for Traffic personnel to tackle traffic violations and enhance the rigour of serious violations. As per recent data, the Noida Traffic Police issued 863 challans for parking violations and 186 challans for faulty number plates on 6th July 2024 alone with a minimum fine of Rs. 1,000 under section 177A.
Traffic Violations Related to Documentation
The secret to a safe and lawful ride is not just following traffic rules and regulations but also possessing all legal documents, permits, licenses, insurance, etc. Any traffic violation related to the possession of such documents is also an offence under the Motor Vehicle Act attracting various penalties. Therefore, it is crucial to know the repercussions of not possessing relevant documents while driving and a list of related challenges that might follow:
Driving without a Valid Driving License
Dealt with under Section 181 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving without a valid driving license, or underage driving in contravention of the driving license requirements constitutes an offence of driving without a License, which is punished with:
- Imprisonment of up to 3 months or
- A Fine of Rs. 5,000 or
- Both
- In addition to the penalty and fine, the offender may also be liable to render community service.
Using a Vehicle without Registration
Dealt with under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving a motor vehicle without registration constitutes an offence of using a vehicle without registration which is punished with
- A fine of Rs. 2,000 to 5,000 (for the first offence)
- A fine of Rs. 5,000 to 10,000 (for the second/subsequent offence) or
- Imprisonment of up to 1 year (for the second/subsequent offence) or
- With Both (for the second/subsequent offence)
Using a Vehicle without a Permit
Dealt with under Section 192A of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving a motor vehicle without a valid and requisite permit constitutes an offence of using a vehicle without a permit, which is punished with
- Imprisonment of up to 6 months (for the first offence) or
- A fine of Rs. 10,000 (for the first offence)
- Imprisonment of 6 months which may extend to up to 1 year (for the second/subsequent offence) or
- A fine of Rs. 10,000 (for the second/subsequent offence) or
- With Both (for the second/subsequent offence)
Driving Uninsured Vehicle
Dealt with under Section 196 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving a motor vehicle without a valid insurance certificate constitutes an offence of using a vehicle without insurance, which is punished with:
- Imprisonment of up to 3 months (for the first offence) or
- A fine of Rs. 2,000 (for the first offence) or
- With Both (for the first offence)
- Imprisonment of up to 3 months (for the second/subsequent offence) or
- A fine of Rs. 4,000 (for the second/subsequent offence) or
- With Both (for the second/subsequent offence)
Driving Without a Valid Pollution Certificate
Dealt with under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving without a valid pollution certificate constitutes an offence of driving without a valid PUC, which is punished with:
- A fine of Rs. 1,000 (for the first offence) or
- A fine of Rs. 2,000 (for the second/subsequent offence)
With a majority of people focusing on avoiding driving-related traffic violations, violations related to documentation are often ignored, despite them being crucial for a lawful drive. To put things in perspective, the Noida Traffic Police, on 6th July 2024 alone issued as many as 77 challans for polluting vehicles and 55 challans for driving without a valid license.
How to Check and Pay Traffic Challan in Noida
With the use of technologies such as OSVD Cameras, Traffic Violation Detection Cameras, Speed Guns, Interceptors, etc. traffic violation detection and challan issuance has increased manifolds. A Majority of challans in Noida are now being issued virtually. Therefore it is also important to know how to check for a virtual challan online. Here are the steps to check the virtual challan in Noida:
- Step 1: Visit the official M-Parivahan website.
- Step 2: Choose the e-Challan System
- Step 3: Click on ‘Get Challan Details’
- Step 4: Pick the most suited option to get challan details for your vehicle. You can choose between Vehicle Number, DL Number or Challan Number to get all the challan details.
- Step 5: Depending upon the selected option, enter the details and click ‘Get Detail’
- Step 6: The details of all your issued and pending challan will be shown. Verify all information and click ‘Pay Now’.
- Step 7: Select your preferred payment option to make the payment.
- Step 8: Upon completion of the payment, an acknowledgement will be provided with the transaction ID for future reference.