The revised Motor Vehicles Act notified by the Centre proposing stiff penalties for various road traffic violations are yet to see the light of the day in Puducherry.
A senior official of the Transport Department, on condition of anonymity, said the amended Act was under government scrutiny and a decision had not been taken to implement it.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways sent a letter last month directing the department to implement the Act and send them a copy of the notification issued in the gazette.
Official sources said the Transport Department had studied the provisions of the Act and sent it to the government. It had to be approved by the Cabinet and sent to the Lieutenant Governor for approval.
The new law had laid down strict norms and fines and could serve as a deterrent for law breakers.
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 was notified by the Centre in August 2019.
Compoundable offences
The changes made under the Act included higher fines for traffic violations and strict penalties in the cases of offences by juveniles. Thirty offences, including over-speeding, not wearing helmets and seat belts were compoundable.
“Many States, including Tamil Nadu, are yet to implement the Act. Puducherry shares border with Tamil Nadu and the government is reluctant to implement the Act because of lack of synergy with the neighbouring State on the issue. Until the revised rules are implemented, traffic violations would continue,” an official said.
Despite the presence of traffic policemen, jumping of the signal and rash driving were on the rise in the city. Most violations were reported on the 45 Feet Road signal, East Coast Road near Latha Steels, Kokku Park junction, Anna Square and Venkatta Subba Reddiar Square, officials said.
According to P. Devanathan, president of People’s Pulse, a non-governmental organisation, “the revised MV rules could serve as a deterrent for law breakers and they need to be approved and implemented at the earliest. The Transport Department has put in place a standard operating procedure for traffic management at signals but it is seldom followed. The traffic police are not allowed to exercise their powers and record violations.”
Motorists at the 45 Feet Road junction jump signal frequently causing traffic snarls and accidents.
Priorities for traffic wing
A police officer said preventing traffic violations had been one of the priorities and the traffic wing had been taking steps, including noting down the registration number of vehicles and creating traffic awareness.
According to T.S. Saradha, a resident of Kurunji Nagar, “Puducherry is a Union Territory and it has no option to differ or deviate from the rules that the central government frames. The rules relating to the Motor Vehicles Act are automatically applicable for Puducherry and hence there should be strict enforcement of rules.”
Any slack approach would only give rise to compromising on road safety. A joint panel of the State and the Centre could be formed to oversee whether the Motor Vehicles Act was enforced in Puducherry, she said.
