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2019 Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill: Traffic Violation Fines To Increase Exponentially

The Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill has been cleared by both houses of the parliament and will be used to make changes in the Motor Vehicle Act of 1988. Part of the Amendment bill focusses on increased fines for traffic offenses. We tell you all about it.

The fines of 22 traffic offenses have been revised under the new Motor Vehicle Bill expand View Photos
The fines of 22 traffic offenses have been revised under the new Motor Vehicle Bill

Highlights

  • The Bill proposes heftier fines for traffic offenses
  • Get ready to pay Rs. 10,000 if you are caught drunk driving
  • Driving while talking on mobile phones will attract a penalty of Rs. 5000

The Motor Vehicle Amendment bill was passed in Rajya Sabha with 108 members voting yes for it and 13 members voting against it. The amendments were tabled in the Parliament in 2017 and were later sent to a select committee. But it was not cleared by the upper house and lapsed when the 16th Lok Sabha was dissolved. But now that it has been passed in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, expect the fines for traffic offences to go up exponentially. 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 ₹ 500 and now the proposed fine is ₹ 5,000. Similarly, if you are caught drinking and driving, you will be fined ₹ 10,000 instead of ₹ 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: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Tables Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill

Here is a list of proposed changes for various traffic violations

Sr No. Traffice Offence (Section) Old Fine Amount Proposed Fine Amount
1 General Offence (177) ₹ 100 ₹ 500
2 Road Regulation Violation (177 A) ₹ 100 ₹ 500
3 Unauthorised use of vehicles Without license (180) ₹ 1,000 ₹ 5,000
4 Driving without license (181) ₹ 500 ₹ 5,000
5 Disobedience of Order Of Authorities (179) ₹ 500 ₹ 5,000
6 Drunk Driving (185) ₹ 2,000 ₹ 10,000
7 Speeding Or Racing (189) ₹ 500 ₹ 5,000
8 Vehicle Without Permit (192A) ₹ 5,000 ₹ 10,000
9 Driving Without Qualification (182) ₹ 500 ₹ 10,000
10 Not Wearing Seat Belt/Helmet (194B) ₹ 100 ₹ 1,000
11 Oversized Vehicles (182B) (New Rule) ₹ 5,000
12 Not Providing Way For Emergency Vehicles (194E) (New Rule) ₹ 10,000
13 Travelling Without Ticket (178) ₹ 200 ₹ 500
14 Over-speeding (183) ₹ 400 ₹ 1,000 - ₹ 2,000
15 Driving Without Insurance (196) ₹ 1,000 ₹ 2,000
16 Dangerous Driving (184) ₹ 1,000 ₹ 5,000
17 Offenses By Juveniles (199) (New Rule) ₹ 25,000 (3 year imprisonment)
18 Overloading Goods (194) Extra Tonne ₹ 20,000 & ₹ 2,000/Tonne
19 Overloading Passengers (194A) (New Rule) ₹ 1,000/passenger
20 Overloading of Two-Wheelers (194C) ₹ 100 DL Impounded For 3 Months
21 Offenses Committed By Enforcing Authorities (210B) (New Rule) Twice The Amount Under Relevant Section
22 Talking On Mobile Phone While Driving (177) ₹ 1,000 ₹ 5,000

Also Read: Motor Vehicle Bill Passed In Rajya Sabha 

There are additions as well in terms of violations including not giving way to emergency services such as an ambulance will attract a fine of ₹ 10,000, while aggregators violating terms will have to pay a fine of ₹ 5,000. And, if you are not wearing a helmet or a seat belt, you will be fined ₹ 1,000 instead of the earlier ₹ 100. With the new bill ready to be introduced, it is in our best interest to obey all traffic rules and refrain from breaking any rules.

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1 Comment(s)
Thanks for the comments.
  • Anil Warang 01-Aug-19 03:04 PM IST
    Stiffer fines alone will not solve the problem of traffic accidents in India. What is required is a seperate school subject with practical training for has to be given to school going children to highlight the importance of respecting traffic laws and the fallout on account of disrespecting it. Further even though there are schools for four wheel driving lessons with permanent licences being issued under dodgy examination systems, there is no such formal training being given to two wheeler riders. Two wheel riders graduate to four wheel drivers and the traffic attitude developed as a two wheeler rider is carried over to when one drives a four wheeler and this attitude is another cause for road accidents in India. In my opionion a systematic formal training on driving alongwith stiffer fines will be one of the methods to bring down the accident rates in India.