Vehicle owners must update mobile numbers, email IDs in Vahan database within a month

Vehicle owners have been directed to update their mobile numbers and email addresses in the Vahan database within a month. Traffic challans sent through registered digital channels will be considered officially served, helping authorities improve enforcement and reduce disputes.

Hyderabad: The State government has made it mandatory for vehicle owners to update their mobile numbers and email addresses in the Vahan database within a month in a move aimed at streamlining traffic enforcement.

The decision, a joint effort by the Traffic Police and Transport Department, is expected to strengthen the delivery of traffic violation notices and reduce disputes over not receiving traffic challans.

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According to a recent notification issued by the Transport Department, traffic challans sent through electronic modes such as WhatsApp, SMS and email will be treated as officially served if they are delivered to the contact details registered on the Vahan portal.

“Once the one-month deadline expires, vehicle owners will be deemed to have received the notice, even if they claim they were unaware of it,” transport department officials said.

Officials further said outdated contact information has often hindered the recovery of traffic penalties, with many violators disputing notices on the grounds that they were never informed.

The new mechanism aims to address this issue by linking the validity of challan delivery to the details available in the national vehicle database.

Meanwhile, the notification also empowers enforcement agencies to rely on digital communication channels for serving traffic violation notices, reducing dependence on physical delivery and speeding up the enforcement process.

Transport authorities have requested motorists to verify and update their contact information at the earliest to ensure they receive important alerts, including challans and other vehicle-related communications.