Don't know, should we celebrate or mourn? From today, new Motor Vehicles Amended Act has come into effect and like all other laws , I am sure, its going to pinch you. because rules are for those who honor them. A majority of our countrymen are habitual violators and take pride in breaking laws. So, the new traffic rules will only hurt the law-abiding citizens as new act empower the "most corruput" traffic police to extort higher money from gullible law-abiding drivers.
The amended act envisages high traffic penalties, ostensible, to cut traffic offences and ensure discipline. But, the lawmakers have not taken the ground realities into account. In India, there can hardly be any traffic discipline unless and until traffic rules enforcement agency is made, religious;y law abider and honestly duty bound. Police in India only instills fear among citizens and traffic police with challan book in hands are seen as authorized " money extortion" gang. They extort money even if you follow all the traffic rules religiously.
And since the new law aims at instilling fear in people who violate traffic rules, as per union transport minister, Nitin Gadkari, traffic cops have been given open license to extort more and more money even from common offenders like the use of mobiles, jumping traffic lights and driving on the wrong lane, all now categorized as "dangerous driving". Even more stringent provisions ( or in simple words empowerment of official "extortion gang) have been made for common traffic violations like not wearing a seat belt, jumping red light and drunk driving under new act.
Under the new law, driving without licence will be fined Rs. 5,000 instead of Rs. 500.And for driving despite disqualification, the fine has been raised from Rs. 500 to Rs. 10,000. Taxi aggressors violating driving licences will be fined up to Rs. 1 lakh. Over speeding will invite a penalty between Rs. 1,000- Rs. 2,000. The penalty has been increased from Rs. 400 to Rs. 1,000 for light motor vehicles and Rs. 2,000 for medium passenger vehicles.
Driving without a seat-belt can now invite a fine of Rs. 1,000, which was earlier Rs. 100. For driving without insurance, there will be a fine of Rs. 2,000; driving without helmets will be fined Rs. 1,000 and can face three-month suspension of their licence. A penalty of Rs. 20,000 will be slapped for over-loading.
Apparently, all these high penalties will lead to hard bargaining by corrupt cops to extort as much money. All of us know how traffic cops extort money with impunity and no government of the day has ever thought of disciplining the official "gang of extortion". It s hard to believe that our lawmakers are not aware of the ground realities. What is needed is not stringent traffic laws but similar rules for corrupt police. The country. will definitely, do better.