The 2019 Motor Vehicle Act was recently passed in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The Motor Vehicle Act has been significantly updated and the traffic fines have been exponentially increased too. The new Motor Vehicle Act and the updated traffic fines will come into effect from September 1, 2019. In some cases, the fines have been increased by up to 10 times. For example, if one is caught driving without license, the earlier fine was Rs. 500 and now the proposed fine is Rs. 5,000. Similarly, if you are caught drinking and driving, you will be fined Rs. 10,000 instead of Rs. 2,000 which is the current norm. The bill also proposes that the amount of traffic violation fines should be increased at the rate of 10 per cent per year.
Also Read: 2019 Motor Vehicle Bill Passed In Rajya Sabha
Apart from stiffer penalties, the 2019 Motor Vehicle Bill also addresses other talking points such as new rules for issuing driving licenses, recognising app based cab aggregators and even setting guidelines for vehicle recalls. The bill reduces the validity of the driving licence from the current 20 years to just 10 years. Those renewing their licenses between the age of 50 and 55 years will have validity only till 60 years. And those renewing the licence after the age of 55, will have validity only of five years. In case of recalls, manufacturers will also have reimburse buyers with the complete cost of the vehicle in case of a defective model sold, while the government could levy a fine of up to Rs. 500 crore in such a scenario. App-based cab service aggregators like Ola and Uber also receive recognition under the Motor Vehicle Amendments bill and will be scrutinised and fined if found breaking the traffic regulations.
| Sr No. | Traffice Offence (Section) | Old Fine Amount | New Fine Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Offence (177) | Rs. 100 | Rs. 500 |
| 2 | Road Regulation Violation (177 A) | Rs. 100 | Rs. 500 |
| 3 | Unauthorised use of vehicles Without license (180) | Rs. 1,000 | Rs. 5,000 |
| 4 | Driving without license (181) | Rs. 500 | Rs. 5,000 |
| 5 | Disobedience of Order Of Authorities (179) | Rs. 500 | Rs. 5,000 |
| 6 | Drunk Driving (185) | Rs. 2,000 | Rs. 10,000 |
| 7 | Speeding Or Racing (189) | Rs. 500 | Rs. 5,000 |
| 8 | Vehicle Without Permit (192A) | Rs. 5,000 | Rs. 10,000 |
| 9 | Driving Without Qualification (182) | Rs. 500 | Rs. 10,000 |
| 10 | Not Wearing Seat Belt (194B) | Rs. 100 | Rs. 1,000 |
| 11 | Oversized Vehicles (182B) | (New Rule) | Rs. 5,000 |
| 12 | Not Providing Way For Emergency Vehicles (194E) | (New Rule) | Rs. 10,000 |
| 13 | Travelling Without Ticket (178) | Rs. 200 | Rs. 500 |
| 14 | Overspeeding (183) | Rs. 400 | Rs. 1,000 - Rs. 2,000 |
| 15 | Driving Without Insurance (196) | Rs. 1,000 | Rs. 2,000 |
| 16 | Dangerous Driving (184) | Rs. 1,000 | Rs. 5,000 |
| 17 | Offences By Juveniles (199) | (New Rule) | Rs. 25,000 (3 year imprisonment) |
| 18 | Overloading Goods (194) | Extra Tonne | Rs. 20,000 & Rs. 2,000/Tonne |
| 19 | Overloading Passengers (194A) | (New Rule) | Rs. 1,000/passenger |
| 20 | Overloading of Two-Wheelers (194C) | Rs. 100 | DL Impounded For 3 Months |
| 21 | Offences Committed By Enforcing Authorities (210B) | (New Rule) | Twice The Amount Under Relevant Section |
| 22 | Talking On Mobile Phone While Driving (177) | Rs. 1,000 | Rs. 5,000 |
