Traffic violations in the national capital may now attract more than a challan, with offenders also liable to be named in a First Information Report (FIR).
In a first for the the national capital, the Delhi Police have registered at least two FIRs for traffic violations related to driving on the wrong side of the road, Indian Expres reported. While one of the FIRs was filed at Delhi Cantonment police station on January 3, another was registered at Kapashera police station on Monday.
Both these cases have beeb booked under BNS Section 281 (rash driving) and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act, police officials said The FIRs were registered by Traffic assistant sub-inspectors posted at their respective traffic circles.
The FIR in Kapashera was registered after a person was found driving his car on the wrong side near Kapashera Chowk. The driver allegedly told the traffic policeman that he was in a hurry and wanted to avoid the jam.
This is first time in any Union Territory of the country, that the police are booking traffic rule violators with criminal cases. The fine for wrong-side driving is ₹5,000. But an FIR registered under Section 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 (rash driving or riding on a public way) attracts a prison term up to six months, or a fine of ₹1,000, or both, and the vehicle is seized.
“It is a bailable offence, but the process is long – the individual must visit the police station and court to secure bail and to get the vehicle released,” a Delhi police official told Indian Express.
The offenders booked in first two FIRs have been released on bail after arrest.
Police officials said that the FIRs for wrong driving won't be a norm but is being done as a deterrent. “If a Traffic officer finds an offender on a road with heavy traffic, or determines that the driver’s action could endanger lives, an FIR will definitely be registered,” the official told Indian Express.
Driving on the wrong side of the road has significantly increased in the national capital over the past few years, officials said. In 2025, for example, 3,05,843 cases were reported, for which 1,78,448 challans were issued, and notices were served for the remaining 1,27,395 cases. The total number of challans and notices issued in 2024 was much lower at 2,49,210, police said.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
