Heavy penalties await transport rule violators in Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati: The Transport department issued a GO No 21 on Wednesday under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 revising the compounding fee for better enforcement of the provisions of the enactment.

The GO empowers the officers of the Transport department not below the rank of the Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector and the police officers not below the rank of Inspector of Police and also Traffic SIs to levy the revised compounding fee on the violators of transport rules.

The visible violations include non-wearing of helmets, non-wearing of seat belts, overspeeding, using cell phones while driving among others which attract heavy penalties.

The penalties would be relatively less amount for the motorcycles, auto rickshaws and motor cabs, and light motor vehicles. Obstruction to the checking officer in discharge of duties and refusal to give information would attract Rs 750 for the motorcycles and light motorcycles and Rs 1,000 for the heavy vehicles.

Allowing unauthorised person or an underage person to drive vehicles would attract a fine of Rs 5,000 for any vehicle.

Likewise, driving a motor vehicle by a person disqualified to hold a driving licence or obtaining a driving licence would attract a fine of Rs 10,000.

The penalty on the persons who alter vehicles in contravention to the rules and regulations would be Rs 1 lakh per motor vehicle.

Driving dangerously or using hand-held communication devices would attract a penalty of Rs 1,500 for the first offence and Rs 10,000 for the subsequent offences. Not only driving dangerously, if anybody causes any person to drive at excess speed, Rs 2,000 would be fined.

Racing or trials of speed would attract a fine of

Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 for subsequent offences.

Rs 2,000 fine for plying a vehicle without insurance for the first offence and

Rs 4,000 for subsequent offences. Driving vehicle exceeding permissible weight attracts a fine

of Rs 20,000 plus Rs 2,000 per every ton of excess load. Rs 40,000 would be fined on a driver who refuses to stop to weigh the load.