Motor Vehicles Bill 2019: 10 reasons why you should rein in your inner Schumacher

Like to rev up your car and zoom past traffic every now and then for that pump of adrenaline? Well, that can cost you up to Rs 5,000. Too steep for a rush? The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to tighten road traffic regulations such as the issuance of driving licence and imposed stricter penalties for violations in an attempt to improve road safety. The Upper House passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 with 108 votes in favour and 13 against it, with three amendments moved by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. The legislation was passed by the Lok Sabha on July 23 but the bill will be sent to Lok Sabha again because of a typo.

Drive properly or pay up:

The legislation provides for stricter punishment for various traffic-related offences as well as higher penalties. It proposes Rs 10,000 fine for not giving way to emergency vehicles and Rs 10,000 for driving despite disqualification. Aggregators violating driving licences will be fined up to Rs 1 lakh. The proposals are based on the recommendations of transport ministers from 18 states, which were vetted by a standing committee of Parliament. The bill includes penalties in the range of Rs 1,000- 2,000 for over-speeding and Rs 5,000 for dangerous driving.

The bill also includes compensation of Rs 5 lakh for death and Rs 2.5 lakh for grievous injury in a motor vehicle accident case. Gadkari said the legislation will instil fear of law in people who violate traffic rules as an intelligent traffic system will monitor traffic offences. 

Driving without insurance will be punishable with a Rs 2,000 fine while driving without helmets will attract a Rs 1,000 penalty and a three-month suspension of licence. Also, the guardian/owner will be deemed guilty in case of road offence by juveniles, while registration of the vehicle will be cancelled. As per the new provisions, "guardian/owner shall be deemed to be guilty and there will be a penalty of Rs 25,000 with three years imprisonment and cancellation of registration of the Motor Vehicle".

Traffic violations would now attract a penalty of Rs 500 in place of Rs 100 earlier, while disobedience of orders of authorities will attract a minimum penalty of Rs 2,000 in place of Rs 500 earlier. Penalty for unauthorised use of vehicles without a licence has been proposed at Rs 5,000 while those driving without a licence will have to shell out the same amount and those found driving despite disqualification would be fined Rs 10,000. Penalty for dangerous driving would be increased to Rs 5,000 from Rs 1,000, while drunken driving under the proposed new law would attract a fine of Rs 10,000.

"If aggregators are found violating licensing conditions, they will be charged a sum of up to Rs 1 lakh" while overloading of vehicles would attract a penalty of Rs 20,000. Earlier participating in the debate, members raised concern over the growing number of road accidents and said that there should be a compensation mechanism for the deceased.

The Congress alleged that the Centre has "hoodwinked" the Rajya Sabha on the bill as it was "defective" and not in the form passed in the Lok Sabha last week. Hoodwinked or not you need to reign in your inner Schumacher's when we go out for a spin next time. 

This is how much it's going to cost: