Stiffer penalties are yet to be imposed on erring motorists in Tamil Nadu as the state government is yet to notify the rules to implement the Motor Vehicles Act, 2019. The bill amending the 30-year-old law was passed by both Houses of Parliament in August. With the President giving his nod, minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari said 63 clauses of amended Motor Vehicles Act, which include hefty penalties for traffic violation, would be implemented from September 1.
With a majority of states not showing the green signal to the new MV Act, motorists, activists and transporters have raised the banner of revolt against some amendments. One of them is parents being penalised up to Rs 25,000 or even sentenced to three-year jail term for offences committed by their minor wards.
Also, such juvenile offenders will be granted licence only when they turn 25. Another empowers Centre to develop National Transportation Policy in consultation with state governments. But the Central policy doesn’t need states’ concurrence. Besides, a steep hike in registration fee of older vehicles has irked transporters.
Imposing huge penalties is likely to trigger panic among bikers, excessive police control and misuse of power.
Why should one go to a magistrate court to pay a fine? ask motorists. Only sustained awareness drives will help in making motorists follow rules and not huge fines, they say.
While drunken driving, over-speeding and using mobiles won’t be spared, taxi aggregators too have been regulated.
Meanwhile, the Madras high court had censured TN police for not implementing its order on making helmets mandatory for not only bikers but also pillion-riders.
Reducing deaths due to road mishaps, ensuring road safety, imposing high penalties on violators and removing corruption in road transport system are some of the issues the Motor Vehicles Act wants to address.
The state government, after consultation with stakeholders, must finalise the rules, frame a policy depending on issues faced by motorists and implement the Act as soon as possible.
