BEWARE! Tougher Traffic Regulations & Stricter Penalties Now; Check Revised List of Fines & Facts of Motor Vehicles Bill 2019

The Upper House of the Parliament or Rajya Sabha has passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019, that looks to improve road safety and enhance manifold the penalty for traffic violations. 

Interestingly, Rajya Sabha has cleared the Bill with 108 votes in favour and 13 against it. Though, the legislation will again have to go back to the Lok Sabha due to the introduction of three new amendments. It is well known that Lok Sabha has earlier passed the bill on July 23. 

Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, while introducing the Bill in the Rajya Sabha said, “Every year there are millions of deaths due to road accidents and it is the government's responsibility to stop them. He said that Tamil Nadu has taken important steps to curb road accidents and his government is going to adopt the same model.” 

He also pointed out that 30 per cent of the driving licences in the country are bogus and a single person is able to acquire as many as four licenses. Roughly 1.5 lakh people are killed in road accidents every year in India. 

It must be noted that now driving while texting, lane-changing, drink driving or ignoring an ambulance can lead to tougher penalties and heavy fines according to a new bill that is a step away from becoming a law. 

The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019, proposes to increase the minimum penalty for a general violation from the current Rs 100 to Rs 500. Driving without a licence will lead to a penalty of Rs 5,000 from Rs 500 while driving despite disqualification will lead to a fine of Rs 10,000 from Rs 500. The monetary punishment for drunken driving will be increased to Rs 10,000 from Rs 2,000.  

The Bill also provides for automated fitness testing for vehicles. There is a penalty for deliberate violation of safety or environmental regulations. There is a provision for cashless treatment of road accident victims during the golden hour. It will allow the central government to order the recall of motor vehicles if a defect in it might cause damage to the environment, driver or other road users. The legislation provides for the computerised driving test to eliminate acquisition of fake driving licences. 

Top facts on the New Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019: 

• Common offences such as the use of mobiles, jumping traffic lights and driving on the wrong lane will be termed as "dangerous driving".

• Drivers who are caught speeding will be fined Rs. 1,000-2,000.

• Drivers will be fined Rs.10,000 for not giving way to emergency vehicles and Rs. 10,000 for driving despite disqualification. Taxi aggregators who will violate driving licenceswill be fined up to Rs. 1 lakh. 

• If you are driving without insurance, then there will be a fine of Rs. 2,000. But, for those driving without helmets will have to pay Rs. 1,000 and can face three month suspension of their licence.

• People will be fined Rs. 500 instead of Rs. 100 for traffic violations. While, those defying the authorities might have to pay a minimum penalty of Rs. 2,000 instead of Rs.500.

• For any road offence by underage drivers, the guardian or owner of the vehicle will be held guilty; the penalty will be fined Rs. 25,000 along with three years in jail and the registration will be cancelled.

• The penalty for dangerous driving will be increased to Rs. 5,000 from Rs. 1,000. Whereas, drink driving can lead to a fine of Rs. 10,000.

• The penalty for unauthoriseduse of vehicles without a licence or driving without a license will lead a fine of Rs. 5,000. Those found driving despite disqualification would be fined Rs. 10,000. 

• Overloading of vehicles will invite a penalty of Rs. 20,000.