The Madras High Court on Thursday wanted to know whether the State government is going to implement the amendments made by the Centre to the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 with steep increase in fine amounts levied for various traffic offences or end up diluting the law by reducing the quantum of fines through State amendments.
A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and P. Velumurugan raised the question to Special Government Pleader J. Pothiraj during the hearing of a batch of cases related to a plea for allowing the operation of bike taxis and bike pooling facilities in the State even in the absence of regulations to govern such operations.
Perturbed over one State government after another reducing the fine amounts fixed by the Centre, the senior judge in the Division Bench said that surprisingly the first one to embark on such an exercise was the Government of Gujarat. He pointed out that the amendments to the Central Act had been made after several years of insistence by the courts.
“The very purpose of the amendment is to bring down motor vehicle offences but that purpose itself will be defeated if the State governments continue to dilute the law. They cannot and should not be allowed to do it. The central government must be strict and find out how such dilution could be curbed,” the judge said.
He pointed out that more number of human lives are lost due to road accidents than any other cause and therefore, there was a dire necessity to bring down the numbers by forcing people to wear helmets while riding two-wheelers and seat belts while driving cars. Rash driving, jumping signals, drunken driving and riding without licence should also be curbed.
Against public interest
“You should not allow acts that are against public interest. So many persons die due to drunken driving. It is a very sorry state of affairs that State governments are diluting the central law despite all this. What is the Tamil Nadu government going to do?” he asked the AGP who replied that the issue was still under consideration.
Later, the judges wanted to know by Friday as to whether allowing bike taxis and bike pooling was in public interest or not. Senior Counsel P. Wilson, representing a private firm, said bike taxis would considerably reduce the number of car taxis since single passengers might want to save money and travel on two-wheelers instead. He said, bike taxis had several benefits such as saving fuel and that, as of now, there was no law that prevents the operation of bike taxis in the State.
