On its commitment to reduce the road accidents and fatalities, the Union Cabinet led by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016.
About Motor Vehicle Act:
- The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 is an Act of the Parliament of India which regulates all aspects of road transport vehicles.
- The Act came into force from 1 July 1989. It replaced Motor Vehicles Act, 1939 which earlier replaced the first such enactment Motor Vehicles Act, 1914.
- The Act provides in detail the legislative provisions regarding licensing
- Under this act, there is a provision to provide Rs.50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh as interim relief to the family of victim of fatal accidents. The cases of road accident compensation claims are decided in the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal.
Recent Amendment:-
In the present Motor Vehicle Act, there are 223 Sections out of which the Bill aims to amend 68 sections whereas Chapter 10 has been deleted and a Chapter 11 is being replaced with new provisions in order to simplify third party insurance claims and settlement process.
This new Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill 2016 provision emphasizes on the following attributes:-
- To levy hefty penalties for violation of traffic norms including up to Rs 10,000 fine for drunken driving and Rs 2 lakh compensation for hit-and-run cases.
- Provision of up to Rs 10 lakh compensation in case of road fatality.
- Increase in compensation for Hit & Run cases from Rs. 25000 to Rs. 2 lakhs.
- Addition of 28 new sections.
The amendments mainly focus on issues relating to
- Improving road safety,
- Citizens’ facilitation while dealing with the Transport Department.
- Strengthening rural transport,
- Last mile connectivity and public transport,
- Automation and computerization and
- Enabling online services.
It gives the adjudge to the State Government to specify a multiplier, not less than one and not greater than ten, to be applied to each fine under this Act and such modified fine and also to regulate the activities in a public place of pedestrians and such means of transport.
- New “Vahan” & “Sarathi” platforms to create National Register for Driving Licence and National Register for Vehicle registration to facilitate uniformity of the process across the country.
- In order to address the shortage of commercial drivers in the country, the driving training process has been strengthened enabling faster issuance of transport licenses.
- The process for testing and certification for automobiles is proposed to be regulated more effectively. The testing agencies issuing automobile approvals have been brought under the ambit of the Act.
- Stricter provisions are being proposed in respect of offences like juvenile driving, drunken driving, driving without license, dangerous driving, over-speeding, overloading.
The complete list of various penalties to be levied by the new amendment of the Motor Vehicle Act, (amendment), 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 licence |
| 194 D | Helmets | Rs 100 | Rs 1000 Disqualification for 3 months for licence |
| 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 |
| 206 | Power of Officers to impound documents | Suspension of driving licenses u/s 183, 184, 185, 189, 190, 194C, 194D,194E | |
| 210 B | Offences committed by enforcing authorities | Twice the penalty under the relevant section |