The clamour to redeploy mobile courts across the State is getting louder in tandem with the recent amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Act.
The implementation of the Act resulted in the toughening of traffic-rule enforcement through steep hike in fines and imprisonment terms.
The State government had in 2017 abolished the six mobile courts that had conducted surprise checks at different places in the State although they played a pivotal role in nabbing violators of traffic rules.
Road accidents
The government’s decision has again come under the scanner, with the number of road accident fatalities hovering at over 4,300 each year.
Each mobile court was headed by a magistrate who was assisted by a couple of judicial staff and personnel of the police and the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD). “The courts, which were a deterrent to rule violators, were scrapped following pressure from goods carrier operators after the authorities began taking action against overloading and other grave offences which have a direct fallout on road safety. Frequent movement of overloaded lorries also damages roads,” said a senior official of the Transport Department.
Considering this, the amended MV Act specifies a fine of ₹20,000 for a tonne of load beyond the permissible weight.
As judicial officers, magistrates of mobile courts could exercise their discretionary powers and increase the fine amount, depending on the gravity of each offence. Such powers are not given to police and MVD personnel. Even more, the magistrates could order the arrest of drivers who refused to pay fine or challenged it.
Faced with increasing public resistance to paying hiked fines, the MVD plans to take up the demand to redeploy mobiles courts with the Transport Commissioner, who in turn will have to discuss it with stakeholders in the Law Department, it is learnt.
Responding to the issue, sources in the High Court, which deputes magistrates to mobile courts, said that the courts were very effective in nabbing violators of traffic rules.
“A formal request seeking their service has not come from the MVD or the police,” they added.
