NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has put the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill up for consideration at the Lok Sabha.
Here are the main features for the Bill. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has put the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill up for consideration at the Lok Sabha.
Primarily, the legislation comes with fresh amendments that can slap reckless drivers with a hefty monetary cost plus suspension or impounding of licence. The Bill is being hailed as a landmark in establishing strict vigilance on unruly traffic in the country and streamlining transport.
In case you wanted a sneak peek into the new fine structures, here’s a preview.
The primary highlight of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill is to address the issue of reckless driving in the country. The legislature seeks to correct this by introducing stricter fines as a preventive measure against reckless driving, drunk driving, etc.
Fancy this: drinking and driving will attract a fine of Rs 10,000 for first offence and if you venture to commit it again within three years of first offence it will attract a penalty of Rs 50,000.
You can be fined Rs 5,000 for racing on the road for first offence and Rs 10,000 for second. Parking on public road causing impediment to traffic can make you pay Rs 500 per hour plus removal charges. Using mobile phones while driving will attract fine of Rs 5,000.
Additionally, in cases of traffic violations by juveniles, the guardian/owner of the car will be held responsible, unless they can prove the offence was committed without their knowledge or they tried to prevent it.
The juvenile will be tried under the Juvenile Justice Act. The registration of the vehicle involved will stand cancelled. In case of surrender of licence because of any violation, the driver will not be authorised until he/she gets back the licence.
As a wider measure to check irresponsibility among citizens, and to instill humanitarian gestures, the Bill also penalises a vehicle for not giving way to emergency services like the ambulence. Most of the fines have been hiked almost ten times.