Karnataka slashes penalties for traffic offences

BS Yediyurappa-led Karnataka government has issued notification regarding the revised fines on select traffic offences.

The state government has slashed rates on several traffic offences under, The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, but has kept penalties for drunken driving unchanged.

As per the latest order issued on Saturday, the fine for not wearing a helmet and seat belt while driving has been reduced to Rs 500 as against the prescribed amount of Rs 1000 in the new Motor Vehicle Act.

For allowing an unauthorised person to drive vehicles, the fines for two-wheelers and three-wheelers will be Rs 1000, Rs 2000 for LMV and Rs 5000 for other vehicles.

The rates have been slashed "in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 200 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Central Act 59 of 1988) read with Section 21 of the General Clauses Act, 1897," read the notification by the state government.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister, Laxman Sangappa Savadi had earlier said the fine rates under the new Act will be revised.

Before that, Yediyurappa had directed the state transport department to slash fines under the amended Motor Vehicles Act 2019.

"Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa today instructed officials to study the Gujarat model of revised traffic fines to implement something similar in Karnataka," the Chief Minister's office said in a statement.

Gujarat has already reduced the fine for not wearing a helmet and set belt to Rs 500 as against the prescribed amount of Rs 1000 in the new Motor Vehicle Act. Driving without a valid license will cost Rs 2,000 to bikers and Rs 3,000 to four-wheelers as against Rs 5,000 mentioned in the act.

States like Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab have put the new rules on hold.