Lok Sabha approves Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019; hefty fines proposed
Stuck in legislative delays since 2017, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill will finally look to overhaul the archaic fines & penalties proposed by the original Motor Vehicles Act of 1988.
By Divyank K. Bansal
Stuck in legislative delays since 2017, the new amendment bill will finally look to overhaul the archaic fines & penalties proposed by the original Motor Vehicles Act of 1988.
During the ongoing Parliament session, the 17th Lok Sabha has finally passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in order to amend the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988. The bill had been earlier passed by the Lok Sabha in April 2017. However, due to the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha, the bill could not get clearance from the upper house, Rajya Sabha. This time though, the bill is most likely to get an approval of both the Parliament houses.
The new bill not only aims to revise the fines & penalties for traffic violations but it also introduces several new guidelines which will work to make the overall system more effective. Despite enhanced efforts & vigilance by Traffic Police personnel across the country, Indian motorists have not really changed their road behaviour and continue to flout traffic norms. However, with stricter penalties and significantly higher violation fines proposed under the new bill, the situation will hopefully improve in the coming years.
However, the bill is still under considerable scrutiny from the opposition as it claims the new bill will undermine the authority of State Transport departments. But Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has assured that at least 18 states have reviewed the bill and have accepted its guidelines, so the bill is not likely to face many hurdles in the upper house.
Here's a detailed list of the revised (proposed) traffic violation fines:
| Section/Offence | Old Penalty/Fine | New Penalty/Fine |
| General (177) | ₹ 100 | ₹ 500 |
| Driving without a valid driver's license (181) | ₹ 500 | ₹ 5,000 |
| Over-Speeding (183, 189) | ₹ 400 | ₹ 1,000 - ₹ 5,000 |
| Driving Under Influence (185) | ₹ 2,000 | ₹ 10,000 |
| Seat Belt Violation (194B) | ₹ 100 | ₹ 1,000 |
| Not Providing Way to Emergency Vehicles (194 E) | New Offence | ₹ 10,000 |
| Non-Valid Insurance (196) | ₹ 1,000 | ₹ 2,000 |
| Dangerous Driving (184) | ₹ 1,000 | ₹ 5,000 |
| Offences by Juveniles (199) | New Offence | ₹ 25,000 + 3 Year Jail Term + Cancellation of Vehicle Registration. Guardian/Owner shall be deemed guilty; Juvenile to be tried under the JJ Act. |
*Suspension of driving license under sections 183, 184, 185, 189, 190, 194C, 194D & 194E.
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