New Motor Vehicles Act comes into effect

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 15

Amendments to the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act, which have come in for criticism for the harsh and heavy penalties, have also come into effect in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, the traffic authorities in Kashmir are not currently imposing the amendments to the Act on the people due to the “prevailing situation”. Instead, the traffic authorities in the region have embarked on an awareness drive so that the people are aware of the offences and the penalties in the near future.

“The amendments to the MV Act carried out by the Central Government have come into effect since September 1. Right, now we have launched an awareness campaign in the media so that people know the penalties”, Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic City, Srinagar Al. Tahir Geelani, said. Asked since September 1, when the amendments to the MV Act came into effect in Kashmir, how many challans had been issued, he said, “ I have no figures right now”.

Though the amendments have come into effect, however, sources disclosed that “right now the traffic police are not focusing on the heavy penalties due to the prevailing situation” in the Kashmir valley, which is under clampdown for the past 40 days, following the abrogation of the J&K’s special status.

In one such awareness campaign run by the traffic police, commuters have been warned that “there will be heavy penalties for those violating the traffic rules” as the Central Government has recently amended the MV Act.

As per the notices issued by the traffic police in the local newspapers, failure to give passage to the emergency vehicles like ambulances will now attract a heavy penalty of Rs10,000. The amendments also make it cl ear the owner of any non-commercial vehicle plying without pollution under control (PUC) certificate would be penalised Rs 5,000, whereas, the commercial vehicle plying without PUC would be impounded as per the High Court directions.