Breaking odd-even rule will cost you Rs 20,000 under new MV Act

New Delhi: People violating the odd-even road rationing scheme between November 4 and 15 could end up paying Rs 20,000 as fine under the amended Motor Vehicles’ Act, traffic police and government officials said Wednesday. The steep fine for the odd-even violation prescribed under the Act has pushed the Delhi government to start working on notifying the compounding rates for various traffic offences, including this one.

“The violation under the odd-even scheme is a compoundable offence. The only way to reduce the hefty fine of ₹20,000 is if the Delhi government notifies lower penalty amounts for the 34 compoundable offences in the city,” a senior traffic police officer said. Compoundable offences are those for which fines are paid on the spot, while non-compoundable offences are those for which fines are paid in the court.

When asked about the issue, transport minister Kailash Gahlot said the government is likely to reduce the fine specifically pertaining to violating the odd-even rules.

“Since the odd-even drive is applicable even to non-Delhi registered vehicles entering the national capital, such a high penalty could have negative repercussions. I will examine this matter,” he said.

Explaining the Act, a government official said, “Section 115 of the MV Act gives the state government the power to restrict the use of vehicles and that is how the Delhi government rolls out the odd-even drive. Now, the revised penalty for violation under this section is mentioned in Clause 194 of the Act. Earlier, the Act stated that this penalty was a minimum of ₹2,000, which has now been increased toRs 20,000.”

During the past two odd-even stints, which happened in January and April 2016, the Delhi government had kept the compoundable amount for any violation at Rs 2,000 – as prescribed in the MV Act back then.

In the upcoming 12-day scheme, vehicles having registration numbers ending with an odd digit (1,3,5,7,9) will be prohibited on five even date days. Those having registration numbers ending with even digit (0,2,4,6,8) will be prohibited on the five remaining odd date days. During the weekend (November 9-10), all vehicles will be allowed on roads.

Gahlot, however, said the Delhi government’s notification on compoundable offences will take time. “It will be done in a few weeks as deliberations are still on. Some states have given reactions like they would decrease the fines or not implement it, but hardly any of them have issued a notification as yet,” he said.

On Tuesday, the minister had said the government intends to keep the list of those who will be exempted from the drive same as its previous attempts. The exemptions may likely include two-wheelers, which constitute over 7.3 million of the over 11.09 million registered vehicles in Delhi, VIPs, women and disabled drivers, enforcement vehicles and CNG vehicles.

The new fines under the Act came into effect from September 1 and enforcing agencies have been issuing only court fines in the absence of a notification of compoundable and non-compoundable offences.