Bihar too may reduce fine under MV Act

Close on the heels of Gujarat deciding to reduce the quantum of fines being imposed under the amended Motor Vehicles Act, Bihar is also mulling a similar proposal.

This comes after days of police-public standoff on main thoroughfares ever since the transport department has been busy enforcing the amended Act.

“Yes, we will review the quantum of penalty imposed under the amended Act after holding a high-level meeting,” said Bihar’s Transport Minister Santosh Kumar Nirala. The minister said he would put up the matter before Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who would then take a decision accordingly.

“If the amount of fine has to be reduced, it has to be done at the government level. The department cannot issue any notification on its own,” said a senior official of the state transport department.

Meanwhile, the traffic police and the state transport department together have collected a whopping Rs 1.78 crore as fine from the traffic rule violators in Bihar between September 1 and 10.

Around 9,000 challans have been issued, with the highest being Rs 42,000 to a 15-year-old boy in Bhagalpur for riding a new Scooty without papers and helmet.