Kerala: Experts warn against soft-pedalling on rules

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The motor vehicle inspectors will have to ignore the breach of law, wilful or otherwise, in the wake of Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran’s advice to them to ‘lie low’ on the new traffic rules.

Experts point out that the state government, after notifying the hike in penalties for traffic offences in compliance with the latest MV Act amendment, cannot ask officials to look the other way when motorists commit offences. The lax implementation of rules creates chaos on the roads, they say.

Former deputy transport commissioner P.D. Divakaran told DC that any leniency, especially during the festive season, would encourage tax evasion and criminality among sections waiting for the overkill. He said the past week of enforcement of hiked fines, notified by the state government on August 31, had shown “a marked improvement in the behavioural status of motorists.”

Motorists said that the new regime had heightened their awareness on the traffic rules.

The amended Act and the state notification allow compounding of penalties sparing them of prosecution, except in offences like drunken, rash and negligent driving.

MV sources point out that there are several grave violations like wayside advertisements that call for immediate action. Justice Hemant Ramachandran had criticised such violations.

The MV department does not follow the scientific signalling system. The green has to slide to amber before red and vice versa. But at many junctions, the red suddenly shifts to green and vice versa, leaving motorists to brake all too soon, say experts.