STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Within a fortnight from enforcement of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, Assam has collected nearly Rs 3.60 crore as fines from drivers who violated the provisions of the new legislation.
Besides enriching the State’s coffer, collection of huge amount of fines will instil a deep sense of fear among the people and restrain them from violating traffic rules at the drop of a hat. But how long will such drives of the police, transport and excise departments to strictly enforce the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 continue?
“If the State could collect Rs 3.60 crore as fines within a fortnight of enforcement of the new legislation, what the authorities concerned were doing over these years. Collection of fines for violation of traffic rules was quite insignificant in the recent years owing to the casual approach of the police and transport departments to effectively enforce the earlier laws. Fines used to make pockets of officials of transport and traffic heavy,” Mirinmoy Hazarika, a resident of Pan Bazar area, said.
So the million dollar question is whether the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, which mandates hefty fines for traffic violations, will bring an end to traffic mess in the State particularly in the capital city (Guwahati) or not.
“Increase in penalties will be of no use in case the new legislation is not implemented perfectly. People will have to think twice before bribing police official. No matter how strict the police authority is, but people are going to find a way to get out of troubles. WhatsApp groups updating people about whereabouts of checking points help them avoid that route. Some people have contacts with those considered influential in our society and can easily avoid paying fines. Such people don’t fear the police and they will not stop violating rules,” Dr Anowar Hussain, a retired government doctor, said.
Going by the present situation in Guwahati city Dr Hussain said the new provisions will unlikely lessen traffic mess, but heavy fines will certainly put a burden on citizens. “Due to more fear of hefty fines on commuters' minds corruption in traffic police will increase. There are already reports of police allegedly asking for bribes from erring drivers to help to escape from paying hefty fines as per provisions of the new Act,” he said.
“Higher the fine for traffic violations higher will be the corruption in the government departments concerned. Corrupt officials themselves will inform about the amount of fine for particular violation so that once could grease their palm. The Act can give desired results only if implemented honestly,” Buddhadeb Bora, a resident of Six Mile area at Khanapara, said
The new Act has already brought windfall to those running pollution testing centres. Many of these centres in the city are allegedly issuing pollution certificates to drives without testing fitness of their vehicles.
If such is situation with the pollution testing centres, it is feared that the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 may turn out to be a golden goose for many other government departments.