Bidar Police on Monday registered 1,012 cases under various offences of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019. A Total challan of Rs 9,72,700 was imposed on violators in one day. Bidar’s Superintendent of Police, T Sreedhara, told ANI that 25 notices were issued to violators who will be required to appear before the court and face trials, over and above the challan. 

The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act has enhanced the penalties for driving errors and intentional violations. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had notified the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019 last month, and it was implemented in many states of India from September 1. 

READ | Bengaluru traffic police collected Rs. 72 Lakhs as fines in a week

Hefty fines in Bengaluru too

Bengaluru Traffic Police have also collected over Rs 72 lakh as fine for traffic violations in a week since the new Motor Vehicles Act was implemented on September 3 in Bengaluru. Around 1,968 riders were booked for not wearing a helmet and 2,645 riders were fined for riding pillion. Rs 7.08 lakh were collected in penalties from four-wheelers without seatbelts. Using mobile phones while riding also amounted to total fines of Rs13.9 lakh, and Rs 2.12 lakh collected for violation of one-way rule lanes. 

READ | Stringent traffic rules aim at curbing road accidents: Gadkari

Gadkari speaks

Minister for Road Transport & Highways of India Nitin Gadkari said that stringent rules were the need of the hour as people were taking traffic laws lightly and there was neither fear nor respect for law and the new traffic rules aimed at curbing road accidents.

READ | Odisha truck driver fined Rs 86,500 for several traffic violations

Penalties under the new rules

Under the new rules, Rs 10,000 is the penalty for not giving way to emergency vehicles such as an ambulance or a fire brigade vehicle. A fine of Rs 10,000 will be levied for driving despite disqualification. 

Enhanced penalty for unauthorized use of vehicles without a license saw an increase from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000. And the penalty for driving without license shot up to Rs 5,000. Driving without insurance is punishable with Rs 2,000 and without helmets will attract a fine of Rs 1,000 and a three-month suspension of license. The provisions also include penalties in the range of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 for over-speeding of light motor vehicles and Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 for medium passenger or goods vehicle.

READ | Amid traffic rules, Netizens show off their creative best with memes