The new Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016 was finally passed by Lok Sabha yesterday. The landmark bill proposes crucial amendments to improve road safety and prevent violations by charging higher penalties than before. The ultimate aim is to make the roads safer and reduce corruption as Indian roads see 1.5 lakh people dying every year.
The new bill was passed after the rejection of several opposing amendments including one case when compensation post-accident was to be increased drastically. It was defeated by 37 votes in favour and 221 against it.
The most important amendment is the increased fine for driving under the influence of alcohol, now set at Rs 10,000 from Rs 2,000. Not wearing you helmet will now get you a fine of Rs 1000 and disqualify your licence for three months.
To curb the number of road deaths every year, the fines on hit and run cases has gone up from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh and in case of a road accident fatality, the compensation is set at Rs 10 lakh.
The bill also proposes a multiplier prescribed by the state for repeated offenders, with penalties not less than one and not more than 10 times the original offence. The bill will also allow for a facility to get your learning license online, increase the validity of driving licenses and scraps the requirement for educational qualifications for a transport license.
Proposed Amendments in Various Penalties under Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill – 2016
| Section | Old Provision / Penalty | New Proposed Provision / Minimum Penalties | |
| 177 | General | Rs 100 | Rs 500 |
| New 177A | Rules of road regulation violation | Rs 100 | Rs 500 |
| 178 | Travel without ticket | RS 200 | Rs 500 |
| 179 | Disobedience of orders of authorities | Rs 500 | Rs 2000 |
| 180 | Unautorized use of vehicles without licence | Rs 1000 | Rs 5000 |
| 181 | Driving without licence | Rs 500 | Rs 5000 |
| 182 | Driving despite disqualification | Rs 500 | Rs 10,000 |
| 182 B | Oversize vehicles | New | Rs 5000 |
| 183 | Over speeding | Rs 400 | Rs 1000 for LMV Rs 2000 for Medium passenger vehicle |
| 184 | Dangerous driving penalty | Rs 1000 | Upto Rs 5000 |
| 185 | Drunken driving | Rs 2000 | Rs 10,000 |
| 189 | Speeding / Racing | Rs 500 | Rs 5,000 |
| 192 A | Vehicle without permit | upto Rs 5000 | Upto Rs 10,000 |
| 193 | Aggregators (violations of licencing conditions) | New | Rs 25,000 to Rs 1,00,000 |
| 194 | Overloading | Rs 2000 and Rs 1000 per extra tonne | Rs 20,000 and Rs 2000 per extra tonne |
| 194 A | Overloading of passengers | Rs 1000 per extra passenger | |
| 194 B | Seat belt | Rs 100 | Rs 1000 |
| 194 C | Overloading of two wheelers | Rs 100 | Rs 2000, Disqualification for 3 months for license |
| 194 D | Helmets | Rs 100 | Rs 1000 Disqualification for 3 months for license |
| 194 E | Not providing way for emergency vehicles | New | Rs 10,000 |
| 196 | Driving Without Insurance | RS 1000 | Rs 2000 |
| 199 | Offences by Juveniles | New | Guardian / owner shall be deemed to be guilty. Rs 25,000 with 3 yrs imprisonment. For Juvenile to be tried under JJ Act. Registration of Motor Vehicle to be cancelled |