delhi

Updated: Sep 05, 2019 06:38 IST

Law enforcers will have to pay double the penalties prescribed under the new Motor Vehicles Act for breaking traffic rules, an order issued by the Delhi Traffic Police on Tuesday stated. As per the order, all traffic police officials will be liable to pay double the fines set under the amended law for breaking traffic rules while driving official or private vehicles.

For instance, if a traffic police official is caught for jumping the red light, she will be fined ₹2,000 instead of the ₹1,000 mandated in the amended MV Act. Similarly, for committing offences such as driving dangerously and driving without license for which the general public will have to pay ₹5,000, the enforcing officials will be liable for a fine of ₹10,000.

“...All DCPs (deputy commissioners of police) districts/units are directed to brief and sensitise the staff working under their operational control accordingly to follow traffic rules and regulations in true letter and spirit whether they are riding/driving police vehicles or their own private vehicles,” read the order, which was undersigned by joint commissioner of police (traffic) Meenu Choudhary.

The provision to penalise enforcing authorities higher than the general fine amount is stated under section 210-B of the newly implemented act.

The section elaborates, “any authority that is empowered to enforce the provision of this Act (Motor Vehicles Act, 1988) shall, if such authority commits an offence under this Act, shall be liable for twice the penalty corresponding to that offence under this Act (sic).”

Transport experts said that this provision was made under the law to make the enforcement agencies more accountable and to encourage them to “practise what they preach”.

“This rule, however, should not just be limited to the police. Otherwise it will just be hypocrisy. This rule should be applicable to every road authority,” said Rohit Baluja, president of Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE).