Bangalore Traffic Fines
Traffic Fines in Bangalore - Revised by Karnataka Government
According to data released by the Karnataka Transport Department, Bangalore witnessed a total of 686 fatalities and 4,129 injuries on account of road accidents in the year 2018. (1)
Officials have come on record to mention inadvertent driving and traffic violations as two of the chief reasons for such grave numbers.
The numbers become worse when seen from a macroscopic view taking pan-India into account. In an attempt to curtail such numbers of road fatalities and instil a sense of responsibility amongst drivers, the government in a recent development has amended the Motor Vehicles Act 1988.
As per such amendment, traffic fines have been considerably increased for various traffic law violations. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 was supposed to be implemented across India on 1st September 2019.
However, several states initially refrained from implementing such hiked rates bearing in mind the income level of the larger section of such state populaces.
Are you eager to know if Bangalore faced the brunt of such hiked rates or was Karnataka one of the states to be resistant towards revised rates?
Allow us to jog you through the traffic fine implementation in Bangalore!
Were the New Traffic Fines Implemented in Bangalore?
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act came into effect from 1st September 2019. However, the high challan rates prescribed in the revised Act was not received in the best of spirits by several states in India, including West Bengal, Rajasthan etc.
However, Karnataka was one of the states which brought the revised rates into effect two days from its national implementation on 3rd September 2019. In any event, an implementation does not suggest that changes cannot be made to it.
Considering the substantial nature of the new fines, the Karnataka government revised a few of the rates on 21st September 2019. So, it is a win-win situation for both individuals residing in Bangalore as well as the Traffic Department of Karnataka.
So, let us learn about the rates which were reduced on 21st September-2019 from what was previously implemented.
Revised Traffic Fines in Bangalore
In the following table, we have demonstrated the traffic fines that got reduced on 21st September 2019 and drawn a comparison with the rates which were previously brought into effect on 3rd September 2019.
| Violation | Revised Fines (from 21st Sept-19) | Traffic Fines (as Implemented on 3rd Sept-19) |
| Riding or driving without Licence | ● ₹1000 – for two-wheelers and three-wheelers ● ₹2000 – for four-wheelers and light motor vehicles (LMV) ● ₹5000 – for other types of vehicles | ₹5000 with or without community service |
| Riding or driving an unregistered vehicle | ● ₹2000 – for two-wheelers and three-wheelers ● ₹3000 – for four-wheelers and light motor vehicles ● ₹5000 – for other types of vehicles | ● ₹5000 for first-time violation ● ₹10,000 for repeated offence |
| Vehicle (other than two-wheelers) overloading | ₹5000 and additional ₹2000/tonne | ₹20,000 and additional ₹2000/tonne |
| Violating speed regulations | ● ₹1000 – for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers or light motor vehicles ● ₹2000 – for other types of vehicles | ● ₹2000 – for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers or light motor vehicles ● ₹4000 – for other types of vehicles |
| Driving an uninsured vehicle | ₹1000 – reduced for two-wheelers only | ₹2000 |
| Not wearing seatbelts while driving | ₹500 | ₹1000 |
| Recalcitrant towards enforcing traffic authorities | ₹1000 | ₹2000 |
| Blocking the way for or negligent of emergency vehicles which include ambulances, police cars, etc. | ₹1000 | ₹10,000 |
| Two-wheeler vehicle overloading | ₹500 | ₹1000 |
| Driving or riding without wearing helmets | ₹500 | ₹1000 |
| Driving rashly or dangerously | ● ₹1500 – for two-wheelers and three-wheelers ● ₹3000 – for four-wheelers and light motor vehicles ● ₹5000 – for other types of vehicles ● ₹10,000 – if a repeat offender | ₹5000 for first-time offence and ₹10000 for repeat offence. |
Traffic Fines in Bangalore that remains Unchanged
In the table illustrated below, we have compiled the list of offences for which Bangalore RTO fines have been accorded to the amended act, which was implemented in Karnataka on 3rd September 2019.
| Violation | Traffic Penalties as per Amended MV Act. |
|---|---|
| Driving in a drunken state | ● ₹10000 with or without prison sentence of 6 months. ● ₹15000 with or without prison sentence of 2 years – for a repeat offender. |
| Violating road regulations | ₹500 to ₹1000 (depending on the degree of violation). |
| Acceptance of bribery by traffic law enforcers | Twice the amount originally levied as penalty. |
| Driving with a handheld cell phone | ₹5000 |
| Honking in silent zones | ● ₹2000 – first-time offence ● ₹4000 – repeat offence |
| Driving an unauthorised vehicle | ₹1000 – ₹5000 |
| Vehicles violating vehicular size limits in particular zones | ₹5000 – ₹10000 with or without doing community service |
| Engaging in races or exceeding speed limits while driving | ● ₹5000 with or without a prison sentence for 3 months and community service (first-time offence) ● ₹10000 with a prison sentence of 1 year along with community service |
| Driving a vehicle without a permit | ₹10000 with or without a prison sentence of 6 months along with community service |
| Driving or riding a motor vehicle with a legitimate ticket | ₹500 |
| Driving a vehicle regardless of a driver’s disqualification | ₹10000 with or without community service |
| Exceeding the permissible rider count in two-wheelers | ₹2000 along with losing licence with or without doing community service for 3 months. |
| A registered vehicle being driven by a minor | ● ₹25000 along with prison sentence for 3 years ● Deregistration of such vehicle for 1 year ● Such minor is deemed ineligible for the acquisition of a driving licence before he/she attains the age of 25 |
These challan rates in Bangalore are considerably higher than what was in action prior to the implementation of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019. In some cases, these rates were increased by as much as 200%.
Even though these rates might seem unfair to the common man, several pedestrians find it a much-needed measure towards limiting the number of road accidents, Bangalore sees annually. In fact, in a recent report published by the authority, approximately Rs. 72 lakh was collected as traffic fines within a week of implementation of such revised rates.
As per the report, these records of violations are primarily on account of uninsured vehicles, holding cell phones while driving, and not wearing helmets and seatbelts. (2)
Hence, be mindful of these changes and the institutionalised traffic law violations when taking your car or bike out for a spin the next time.
FAQs about Bangalore Traffic Fines
What documents do I need to carry to avoid traffic fines?
The documents which you need to carry while driving are –
- Driving licence
- PUC certificate
- Registration papers of the vehicle
- Vehicle insurance papers
- Vehicle’s permit
Is a learner’s licence considered as valid?
Yes, a learner’s licence is considered as a legitimate document.
What if I forget to renew my driving licence?
In case you forget to renew your driving licence, you will need to pay the fine as mentioned above.
What if I forget to renew my vehicle’s insurance policy?
You will need to pay the traffic fine as per the rates mentioned in the regulations.