Stricter vehicles bill on cabinet table today

Soon, traffic rule violators will have to cough up hefty penalties - almost 10 times more than what they pay now - for offences such as overspeeding and drunk driving. The Union cabinet is likely to clear the proposed Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill today. Moushumi Das Gupta reports.

Soon, traffic rule violators will have to cough up hefty penalties - almost 10 times more than what they pay now - for offences such as overspeeding and drunk driving.

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The Union cabinet is likely to clear the proposed Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill, the legislation that regulates road transport in the country, on Thursday.

Framed in 1988, several provisions of the bill - especially those related to penalties for violations- have become completely ineffective in checking road accidents. The last time the MV Act was amended was in 2001.

The proposed bill, drafted by the road transport ministry, has made penalties for traffic offences much more stringent.

Rash driving for example is now likely to attract a civil liability of upto Rs 5000 in addition to punishment under the Indian Penal Code. Drunk driving will attract a penalty of Rs 5,000 and a two-year jail term.

For the first time, a concept of graded fines for drunk driving is likely to be introduced. This means that penalty will be directly proportional to the alcohol content found above the stipulated limit of upto 30 mg per 100 ml of blood in the driver's body.

"Once the cabinet clears it, the bill would be introduced in the upcoming budget session of parliament," said a ministry official.