City yet to implement new traffic penalties, rates order not received

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 03, 2019: The revised Motor Vehicle Act  by the Union government came into effect from Sep 1,  the order has not yet reached Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts and hence, the new rules and penalties are not implemented so far.  The new order increases the penalty for various traffic rule violation including drink and drive, over-speeding, driving without license or insurance and other violations.

Since Sep 1st was Sunday and Sep 2nd, there is a holiday due to Ganesh Chathurti, the new law is expected to reach the district transportation office on Today or tomorrow. Only after the  receipt  of the order will it be implemented, informed Chandra Uppara, Mangaluru RTO.

Official order has not arrived and we are waiting for its arrival, we collected fines based on the earlier rates ruling, informed Udupi SP Nisha James.

High traffic fines  :  The penalty for various traffic rule violations, which boosted manifold  by the state government in June, is set to go up further in the coming days as the Union government has notified the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act, 2019.

The Centre’s rules have come in the face of much opposition by various sections of society, including taxi and autorickshaw drivers, who have said the fines are exorbitant and will lead to extortion.

However, Section 200 of the Act provides the state government the authority to amend the suggested fines and bring them down. Officials said the office of the Transport Commissioner was working on the proposal which will be placed before the state government in the first week of September. “The state government can reduce the amounts before notifying the rules,” he said.
Media reports on the central notification has led to much confusion with some courts levying the penalty under the 2019 Act, even though the state government has not yet enforced the same.

In Bengaluru, City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said the Home department has not received any notification from the state government, which is the competent authority to issue the notification. Once we receive the notification, police will implement the revised fine on traffic violations under the amended Motor Vehicle Act, he said.