Patna: Vehicle owners in Bihar now ease off the accelerator and grip the wheel a little tighter when they spot the familiar glow of a toll plaza ahead. The reason is simple: crossing one of the state’s 41 toll plazas with an expired fitness certificate, lapsed insurance, or an out-of-date pollution under control (PUC) certificate can trigger an instant e-challan—no human hand required.
The Bihar Transport Department has expanded its automated e-detection system to cover ten additional toll plazas, bringing the total to 41. Previously limited to 31 locations, the system has already proved effective, prompting the department to widen its reach in a bid to tighten enforcement and improve road safety across the state.
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As soon as a vehicle rolls past the toll booth, high-resolution cameras capture the number plate and FASTag details. The data is instantly cross-checked against the centralised database maintained by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). If any mandatory document—insurance, fitness certificate, or PUC—is found invalid or expired, an e-challan is generated and issued automatically under the relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Transport Secretary Raj Kumar said the expansion follows encouraging results from the initial rollout. “We have seen positive outcomes wherever the system was in place,” he told reporters. “By extending it to more toll plazas, we are making enforcement more consistent and effective statewide.”
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Kumar urged vehicle owners to treat the new measures as a reminder rather than a threat. “Renew your insurance, get the fitness test done on time, and ensure your PUC is valid. These are not just paperwork—they are essential for your safety and everyone else’s on the road,” he said.
The initiative is part of a broader push to reduce accidents caused by unroadworthy vehicles and curb air pollution from vehicles that have not cleared emission norms. Officials point out that vehicles running without valid fitness certificates or PUCs pose serious risks—mechanical failures, poor braking, and excessive emissions all contribute to crashes and environmental damage.
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With the e-detection system now integrated with a national database and operating round the clock, manual checks are no longer the only line of defence. For many drivers, the toll plaza has quietly become the new checkpoint where compliance is verified in seconds—and non-compliance carries an immediate price.
