Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019: Challans So High That Make You Cry



The draft of The Motor Vehicles(Amendment) Act, 2019 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on June 15, 2019. It was passed by The Lok Sabha and The Rajya Sabha on July 23, 2019, and July 31, 2019, respectively. It comes under The Ministry of Road Transport &Highways.

India, as a signatory to the Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety of 2015, intended to decrease road accidents and reduce traffic casualties by 2022. And thus the amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act were acted out.

This Act proved to be a major cause of upheaval in the lives of numerous people after most of the amendments came into effect from September 01, 2019. This meant that driving faults made enormous blows in monthly budgets. Under this act, penalties were increased multi-fold. Reports of challans more than or close to the cost of the vehicle were also registered.

Fines and penalties so high are excessively harsh and considering the low incomes, this act seems like an attack on the middle-class man. Also, with high tax rates going hand in hand with deplorable road conditions, this new law seems to be a cruel joke on people.

It is a fact that some people drive carelessly and endanger not only their lives but also of others who are around them. Preventing insensitive people of such type called for something different, and what could be more different than imposing fines so high that make you cry!?

As mentioned earlier, the condition of the roads is extremely poor and many a time it is the state of the road that is the reason for the accident than the act of the driver. The public transport system, the roads, footpaths, and drainage system all need to be top-notch to make sure that people do not suffer in any situation, in any weather. The first rains of the season turn our roads into swimming pools. 

The condition of Indian roads were once aptly described by former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee when he remarked, "I don't understand whether holes are in the road, or roads are in the holes". The government ought to understand that road safety would only be implemented when roads are safe.


If your driving has no flaw, you should not be scared of this rule of law.

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