The original Motor Vehicle Act was passed in 1988 and specified regulations for all transport vehicles. The act governs almost all aspects regarding the ownership and usage of road transport vehicles and deals with matters such as traffic regulations, vehicle insurance, registration of vehicles and the fines associated with various types of offences.
The act laid out guidelines on the licensing of conductors and drivers, registration guidelines for all classes of vehicles, provisions for permits, traffic and road safety regulations, insurance, liabilities and penalties. It also made it compulsory to possess a driving licence in order to operate a vehicle on Indian roads and mandated that all vehicles must be registered under the Motor Vehicle Act by their respective owners.
Some of the offences covered under the original Motor Vehicle Act include:
The Indian parliament passed the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill in July of 2019. The amended Motor Vehicle Act came into force later that year in September and specified increases in a number of fines for traffic violations, safeguards to Good Samaritans, provisions for the recall of defective parts by automobile manufacturers, holding builders accountable for poor infrastructure and making vehicle owners criminally liable for infractions committed by juvenile drivers. The new act has raised the fines for a number of violations in order to deter drivers from behaving improperly on roads and to ensure better road safety across the country.
A number of traffic violations have had their fines raised in order to ensure that and their breach comes with more serious consequences than earlier. Some of these new proposed fines include:
Listed below is a comparison between the pre existing fines for traffic violations and the new ones propose by the amended Motor Vehicle Act:
Offense |
New Penalty Under 2019 Amendment |
Old Penalty |
Driving without a Licence |
₹5,000 and/or community service |
₹500 |
Driving under the influence of an intoxicating substance |
₹10,000 and/or 6 months prison | ₹15,000 and/or 2 years jail for repetitive violation. |
₹2,000 |
Driving over the Speed Limit |
LMV: ₹1,000- ₹2,000 MPV/HPV: ₹2,000- ₹4,000 (+ licence seizure) |
₹400 |
Driving without a Seat Belt |
₹1,000 and/or community service |
₹100 |
Driving without Insurance |
₹2,000 and/or 3-months prison, community service | ₹4,000 for subsequent offence |
₹1,000 |
Violating Road Regulations |
₹500- ₹1000 |
₹100 |
Dangerous Driving and Jumping Red Lights |
₹1,000- ₹5,000 and/or 6-months to 1 year in prison, licence seizure |
₹100 - ₹300 |
Driving while speaking into or using a mobile phone |
₹5,000 |
₹1,000 |
Speeding, Racing |
₹5,000 and/or 3-months prison, community service | ₹10,000 for subsequent violation and up to 1 year in prison, community service |
₹500 |
Not Giving Way to Emergency Vehicles like Ambulances, Fire Engines, etc. |
₹10,000 and/or community service |
₹500 |
Riding a bike without Helmet (rider and pillion rider) |
₹1000, and or licence disqualification, community service for 3-months |
₹100 |
Overloading Two-Wheelers |
₹2,000 and licence disqualification and/or 3-months of community service |
₹100 |
Juvenile Offences |
₹25,000 with 3-years prison, cancellation of registration for 1-year, juvenile ineligible for licence until 25 years of age. |
- |
Driving Despite Disqualification |
₹10,000, and/or community service |
₹500 |
Overboarding Passengers |
₹200 for every extra passenger and/or community service |
- |
Driving/Riding without Ticket |
₹500 |
₹200 |
Offence Committed by Enforcing Authorities Such as Offering Bribes |
Twice the penalty (varies according to traffic rules violated) |
- |
Unauthorized Use of Vehicles Without Licence |
₹1,000- ₹5,000 |
₹1,000 |
Disobedience of Orders of the Authorities |
₹2,000 |
₹500 |
Vehicles without Permit |
₹10,000 and/or up to 6-months prison, community service |
Up to ₹5,000 |
Oversized Vehicles |
₹5,000 to ₹10,000 and/or community service |
- |
Overloading |
₹20,000 + ₹2,000 for every extra tonne and/or community service |
₹2,000 + ₹1,000 for every extra tonne |
Driving/Riding without Licence (for Aggregators) |
₹25,000 to ₹1,00,000 |
- |
Driving/Riding without Registration |
₹5,000 | ₹10,000 for subsequent offence |
- |
Using Horn in Silent Zone |
₹2,000 | ₹4,000 for subsequent offence |
- |
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