Delhi Traffic Police Issue 45 Percent More School Bus Challans In First Half Of 2026
The Delhi Traffic Police issued 1,644 on-the-spot fines (challans) to school buses for traffic violations during the first half of 2026, representing a nearly 45 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The police released these figures on Wednesday, just a day after a school bus ran over a 12-year-old girl in the Majlis Park area of Delhi.
According to the official traffic police data, authorities issued the 1,644 challans to school buses between January 1 and June 30, 2026. This is a sharp rise from the 1,138 fines recorded during the corresponding six-month period in 2025, marking an increase of 506 challans overall.
Improper or obstructive parking was identified as the primary violation, accounting for the vast majority of the penalties. In the first half of 2026, the police issued 1,379 challans for improper parking, which is almost double the 699 fines recorded for the same offence during the first six months of 2025.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sanjay Tyagi stated that the primary reason behind this illegal and obstructive parking is the lack of adequate parking and holding areas on many school premises. Because of this space constraint, school buses are forced to queue or park on public roads during morning pick-up and afternoon drop-off hours, which causes severe congestion and traffic disruptions in school zones.
The second most common offence among school bus operators was the violation of Supreme Court guidelines designed to govern safe school bus operations. These safety violations included school buses failing to drive within their designated lanes, stopping at unauthorised locations instead of official designated bus stops, and engaging in dangerous overtaking.
The Delhi Traffic Police noted that they carry out regular enforcement actions to address these violations. The sharp rise in fines highlights ongoing challenges with traffic safety, congestion, and the lack of proper holding infrastructure for transport vehicles on school campuses across the city.
