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Rajya Sabha Passes Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, Now Adhere to Traffic Rules or Pay Heavy Penalty
The bill was earlier passed in 2017 but got lapsed while pending in Rajya Sabha after the dissolution of 16th Lok Sabha.
New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2019, to amend the provisions under Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and legislate stricter rules against traffic violations.
The bill was earlier passed in 2017 but got lapsed while pending in Rajya Sabha after the dissolution of 16th Lok Sabha.
The minimum penalty for violating the traffic rules under the current bill has been increased from Rs 100 to Rs 500.
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Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that this is not only a Motor Vehicle Act, but also a road safety bill.
“I believe it’ll cause a decline in accidents, the passing of this bill is a tribute to those who lost their lives in accidents,” Gadkari added.
“5 lakh accidents happen in our country causing 1.5 lakh deaths, every year. We are number one in accidents in the world, now we’ve got the chance to correct this,” he said.
The proposed increment in the penalty is as per the below table:
| Section/ Offence | Old Penalty | New Penalty (Minimum) |
|---|---|---|
| General (177) | Rs 100 | Rs 500 |
| Rules of road regulation violation (new 177A) | Rs. 100 | Rs 500 |
| Travelling without a ticket (178) | Rs 200 | Rs 500 |
| Disobedience of orders of authorities (179) | Rs 500 | Rs 2000 |
| Unauthorized use of vehicles without license (180) | Rs 1000 | Rs 5000 |
| Driving without license (181) | Rs 500 | Rs 5000 |
| Driving without qualification (182) | Rs 500 | Rs 10,000 |
| Oversized vehicles (182B) | New | Rs 5000 |
| Over speeding (183) | Rs 400 | Rs 1000 for LMV, Rs 2000 for Medium Passenger Vehicle |
| Dangerous driving penalty (184) | Rs. 1,000 | Up to Rs 5000 |
| Drunken driving (185) | Rs 2000 | Rs 10,000 |
| Speeding/ Racing (189) | Rs 500 | Rs 5,000 |
| Vehicle without a permit (192A) | Up to Rs 5000 | Up to Rs 10,000 |
| Aggregators (violations of licensing conditions) (193) | New | Rs 25,000 to Rs 1,00,000 |
| Overloading (194) | Rs 2,000, and Rs 1,000 per extra tonne | Rs 20,000, and Rs 2,000 per extra tonne |
| Overloading of Passengers (194A) | N.A. | Rs 1000 per extra passenger |
| Seat Belt (194 B) | Rs 100 | Rs 1,000 |
| Overloading of two-wheelers (194 C) | Rs 100 | Rs 2,000, Disqualification of license for 3 months |
| Not providing way for emergency vehicles (194E) | New | Rs 10,000 |
| Driving without insurance (196) | Rs 1,000 | Rs 2,000 |
| Offenses by Juveniles (199) | New | Guardian/ Owner shall be deemed guilty. Rs 25,000 with 3 years imprisonment. Juvenile to be tried under JJ Act. Registration of Motor Vehicle to be cancelled. |
| Power of officers to impound documents (206) | N.A. | Suspension of driving licence under sections 183, 184, 185, 189, 190, 194C, 194D, 194E, |
| Offences committed by enforcing authorities (210B) | N.A. | Twice the penalty under the relevant section |
The bill also intends to protect good samaritans from unnecessary trouble of civil or criminal proceedings.
According to the provision, a Good Samaritan shall not be liable for any civil or criminal action for any injury to or death of the victim of an accident involving a motor vehicle, where such injury or death resulted from the Good Samaritan’s negligence in acting or failing to act while rendering emergency medical or non-medical care or assistance.
The bill also defines good samaritan as a person, who in good faith, voluntarily and without expectation of any reward or compensation renders emergency medical or non-medical care or assistance at the scene of an accident to the victim or transports such victim to the hospital.
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