Civilising Indian Roads

The Motor Vehicles Act, 2019, has sparked fear and protest, but will it make Indian roads safer? And should stiff penalties for violations be accompanied by a drive to build better road and traffic-management infrastructure?

- Kaushik Deka

Last week, when traffic constables in Delhi stopped a girl riding a two-wheeler with a broken number plate, they weren’t ready for the commotion that followed. Not only did the girl refuse to pay the fine (which had gone up as another violation had been discovered—she wasn’t wearing a certified helmet), she also threatened to commit suicide on the spot. At another location in the national capital, a man, faced with a challan of Rs 11,000 for drunk driving and other offences, set his motorbike on fire even as cops were in the process of impounding it. He later said he had refused to pay a Rs 11,000 fine for a bike he had bought for Rs 15,000.

The steep hike in fines for violating traffic laws, as provisioned by the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, which came into effect from September 1, has led to sharp debates and bitter divisions over the big questions—can stiff penalties make Indian drivers better behaved, and the roads safer in India? Nitin Gadkari, the Union minister for road transport and highways, has been the strongest proponent of the new act. He believes this is a critical step in bringing discipline to the traffic mess in Indian cities. “There was no fear of the law because the fines were low. People got away cheaply. And fines are just one aspect of the new Motor Vehicles (MV) Act. We are aiming for larger reforms,” he says (see interview: ‘Fines are just one aspect...’).