[dinesharun]

Voted yes. But it still I think it has the risk of increasing corruption especially in rural areas. People would be ready to pay a marginal amount as bribe when compared to the astronomical fines. To reduce corruption on spot fines should be banned and when people are caught a challan is to be issued the payment made offline. Yes this could mean people not paying the fines, but that should be enforced by bringing people not paying up to court.

[gb97ce6]

This was long overdue.

However I have seen the cops selectively enforcing the fines, taking easy targets of 2 wheelers and commercial vehicles while letting most private cars go by. Even among this category they should be enforcing speed limits, dangerous driving, jumping the lights, one way violations etc. Instead most of the fines are for helmets and overloading. These are easy to catch in bulk numbers.

[Neo18]

Originally Posted by binand

I too voted an unequivocal yes.



I see most of these fines as for not being a good road user. Someone breaking a signal or driving up a one-way or parking haphazardly is actually putting the lives of other road users in danger. I do not consider the argument "I will follow road rules only if I have pristine roads" as any sort of argument. It is a complete strawman.



These fines are from the Motor Vehicle Act. This act is about regulating vehicles and traffic; not about road design or construction (and it does not have an Uber/Ola exemption).

There is no question that steep fines will act as deterrence and will bring down accidents related to misuse/abuse of roads. What is being highlighted is what happens before the user lands on the road, Case in point is the fact that Driving licenses are being handed out in the most irresponsible manner, which needs fixing first.

Also, squarely blaming the motor users by increasing fines and not doing anything to improve infrastructure , not having any accountability with regards to public transport and how the revenue generated through road taxes are being put to use , is the irritant to most folks, not the fines in itself.

This whole situation is akin to the parent blaming the child for poor marks in the exam when the parent themselves have a lot of blame to shoulder in the whole process.

[fastturtle10]

Voted yes! Hefty fines are currently the only possible method to get people to change their driving habits. It is not doubt that our roads have some of the most illogical drivers who come from the wrong side or do not wear helmets while riding, etc. I always get mad whenever I see news regarding people unwilling to pay fines or threatening the police; WAKE UP! Your not only putting your life in danger but also risking the life of others. There are those who go to work, school or anywhere else with a dream they hope to achieve one day, only for you to drive recklessly and crush their dreams

[NiInJa]

Voting a big YES. My brother in law is a lawyer and he has suddenly seen a huge spike in RC transfers and license renewal/new applications mostly for commercial purposes. All these years people have been driving vehicles without any proofs. This should definitely help in getting identity of Drivers as well as vehicles.
As far as following rules and improving driving habits are concerned, it will take some time for people to get used to it (hefty fines), but that should not be a reason for some states already reducing fines.

[Col Mehta]

Voted No. Well yes, it deters people from flouting traffic laws but unfortunately a lot of morons still feel they can play around with it - the reason being poor implementation. I literally see no/close to zero traffic police on the roads during early hours and late nights. This let a lot of people assume that they can get away with jumping red lights/driving on wrong sides etc are are still doing it shamelessly. I strongly believe there should be an even spread of cops on the roads to cover the entire day to have the true effect.

But overall, I'm very pleased to see this move from the government. I say, not just heavy penalties but let's jail a few and set strong examples for others. Let's face it - it is in our blood. We would break it when we are certain of possibility of getting away. We need these strict measures unfortunately. I hate the smirk on the faces of who still come from the wrong sides/jump red lights and put their and others' lives on risk.

Apologies for the rant. I'll stop.

[el lobo 6061]

Originally Posted by tilt

Here, let me quote myself from another related thread that I wrote for people who say what you said:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...ml#post4652602 (Traffic Police enforcing new Motor Vehicles Act from 15/08/2019 : How do you plan to adapt?)

If there is no proof showing you at fault, you should have challenged it.

Even Mumbai Traffic Police has issued incorrect challans which were later reversed after they were bought to notice via Twitter.

Originally Posted by ShivrajG

Also I read somewhere that PUC is not required for a new car for 1 year ? is that right ?

Yes its right. New car don't require PUC for 1 year.

Originally Posted by ShivrajG

if not I must hurry up to PUC in KA itself

People usually take out PUC just in case traffic police personnel isn't aware about 1 year rule.

[city2491]

Can’t say for sure. Only time will tell.

Yesterday on some road in Wadala, while I was driving, I noticed a couple on a bike zoom past me and well, I saw a nakabandi in front. I was sure they were gonna get stopped. But as I watched, this smart guy pulls out a helmet from behind, wears it, passes the nakabandi and guess what? Removes it and continues his journey.

All these fines are not enough. There should be strict enforcement .

Catch the two wheelers, zooming in between cars on a busy road and educate them at least to drive on one side.
Educate the truck drivers to use the slow left lane on highways/expressways.
There are countless other instances you might add to this list, we complain to ourselves but nothing changes, and we get used to it.

On some occasions, I have deliberately moved to the left lane when I saw a two wheeler coming from the wrong direction. But what they do is stare at you like you’ve done some crime against them. A few of them will start abusing you and create a scene. But the cops won’t do anything.

Unless people are educated/enlightened/made to understand the implications of what they’re doing, nothing will change.

[lrsays]

Yes!
But cops need to understand that illogical vehicle breakers which they call speed breakers and suddenly appearing from nowhere to stop a bike/cars is equally dangerous, who is to be fined or held responsible for this?
We should have a way of proper investigation agency to investigate and find out root cause of any accident, wrong design of roads, turns, humps are killing many people on road.

[SS-Traveller]

Voted NO.

The two biggest reasons why people flout traffic rules are:

1) that they are unaware of such rules (what exactly is right of way? Is there a right-of-way rule at roundabouts?), and

2) that if there's no cop or camera watching them, they can do whatever they feel like, even at inconvenience or risk to others (watch the video below).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am3lEeHqbwI

Our drivers, especially commercial and professional drivers, will continue to flout rules and endanger people's (as well as their own) lives as long as they are sure they won't be caught and fined. So deterrence will be limited to those busy streets where traffic police or cameras stand guard - but that will not do much to reduce incidents of crashes, injuries and deaths on Indian roads in general.

[charanreddy]

Voted YES.. There are two ends to this problem, Increasing fines fixes one end, But as much as problem is in the aam junta, the problem is also prevalent in the babus not doing their job. We have laws for anti corruption, not discharging the duty etc etc, but have these even been pursued other than in extreme cases ? Is the Municipal ever held accountable if folks lose their lives due to bad roads? When we compare ourselves to the developed countries interms of fines, why don't we do that in service levels expected on public transport, road conditions etc. .I understand this sounds like a rant.. But Unless the other end of the problem is also addressed, We may not see a huge upside interms of quality of motoring.

[HKap]

Voted Yes. In a country where the "chalta hai" attitude trumps everything else, only strict implementation and high fines will work. We have to work towards making discipline the norm and not an exception. High fines are a big deterrent and come to think of it, this is the only reason why Indians follow rules abroad and do not in India.

As GTO and many others have already said, the seat belt law and DUI were successful overnight was because of fines/jail time.

I also do not understand people's argument that cops should not be hiding behind trees etc. This is one of the most stupid arguments I've ever heard. You following the law should not be dependent on whether the cop is standing in plain sight or hiding behind a tree. We don't go around murdering people when there is no cop in sight. So why jump a traffic signal when there is no cop in sight?

[manish_symc]

Voted Yes. In Pune, I am seeing now vehicles are stopping behind the zebra lines.

[landcruiser123]

I think people will be more disciplined. Higher fines mean higher bribes- which people won't want to pay. So, they'll err on the side of caution. Obviously, there will be some rotten eggs in the police department who'll go on their regular collection rounds. Higher fines are only step 1. The bigger challenges should be addressed:
1. MoRTH should start tightening the grip on RTOs to reduce corruption
2. A standardized procedure to get a license- theoretical education and proper driver training must be made mandatory
3. The police force should also be educated and monitored to reduce corruption

If the above steps are implemented, we may see a drop in fines and a lot of discipline on the road in 10-15 years

[thehighwayman]

Voted Yes. This is truly a welcome move. One look at our absolutely chaotic traffic with scant regard for rules and human lives alike makes this decision a no brainer. Hopefully it will be strictly enforced by the authorities.