Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill: All you should know about proposed changes

Public transportation across the country has been affected on Tuesday due to one-day nation-wide strike against the Centre’s Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill. 

The proposed Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha. Now it is awaiting Rajya Sabha's approval. 

From increasing the penalties to making vehicle owners liable for the violations committed by juvenile drivers — the Bill proposed a number of changes. 

Here are some of the important proposals in the Bill: 

1. Aadhaar will be mandatory for a driving licence and vehicle registration, once the Bill is passed. 

2. The Bill suggests several provisions for the protection of Good Samaritans. If someone helps the accident victims, he/she will be protected from the civil or criminal liability. 

3. The minimum fine for rash driving is Rs 5000, once the bill passed. Earlier it was Rs 1000. 

4. Drunk driving fine has been increased to Rs 10,000 from Rs 2,000. 

5. Be careful while taking your car out in the future. If you get caught driving without a licence, the fine will be Rs 5000. At present, it costs you Rs 500. 

6. Talking on the phone while driving will attract a fine of Rs 5,000. Now, the fine is Rs 1,000. 

7. For hit-and-run cases and gruesome accidents where someone dies, there will be a compensation of Rs 2,00,000 or more from the government to victim's family. At present, it is Rs 25,000. 

8. Civic agencies will be accountable for faulty design, construction or poor maintenance of roads leading to accidents.

  

9. If a juvenile is caught for committing a traffic violation, the owner of the vehicle would be held responsible. The registration of the motor vehicle in question will be cancelled. 

10. A time limit of six months has been specified for an application of compensation to the Claims Tribunal with regard to road accidents.