Heftier penalties kick in for commercial vehicles

CHENNAI: Fine for certain offences, including driving without a valid licence and permits, have been increased manifold.

Tamil Nadu Auto Thozhilalar Sammelanam working president S Balasubramanian alleged that the transport department has silently hiked penalties for various offences as per the new Motor Vehicles Act over the last year. “First they started collecting a fine of Rs 10,000 for drunken driving immediately after the amendment of the MV act. After that, in the last year, fines for several offences were increased one by one,” he said.

For a vehicle without pollution under the control certificate, he said the fine was Rs 300 earlier. “Now transport department officials are collecting Rs 10,500 for it. Similarly, penalties for driving without a valid fitness certificate and permits have been increased to Rs 5000,” he said, adding that 20 auto-rickshaws were impounded on Sunday for driving without a valid registration certificate or fitness certificate. “We are planning to hold a protest against the increased fines on April 18,” he said.

A senior Transport Department official clarified that the police and RTOs are collecting spot fines for traffic violations as per the old government order before the MV amendment Act. “A new government order is being prepared with the latest MV amended rules. If the government approves it, the revised fines will be implemented for regular traffic violations as well,” he said.