Delhi govt apprises HC of notice empowering officers for on-the-spot traffic offence compounding

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) In response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the Delhi government on Monday informed the Delhi High Court that a notification has been issued, wherein officers are now empowered to compound traffic violation offences on the spot.

The PIL, filed by advocate Amit Sahni, had contended about the challenges faced by individuals in compounding challans issued for traffic violations following the September 2019 amendment to the Motor Vehicle Act. This amendment had led to difficulties in immediate fine payment, forcing violators to resort to court visits or online payments via the virtual court (traffic) website. As a result, the courts experienced increased burdens, and citizens struggled to address petty violations promptly.

The government stated that a notification has already been issued to this effect, granting designated officials the authority to collect fines immediately for certain offences. The compounding process allows offenders to pay fines without the need to visit a court. Instead, fines can be settled with authorised officials upon notification from the states.

The Delhi government's response clarified that a notification pursuant to section 200 of the Motor Vehicle Act was issued on March 13, 2020, by the Lieutenant Governor of NCT of Delhi.

The government also assured that documents available on the Centre's DigiLocker application are considered valid by enforcement officials.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula noted the government's response and concluded that no further orders were necessary, and disposed of the petition. The government also said that all documents accessible through DigiLocker, m-Parivahan, and other government websites are recognised as valid by the transport department's enforcement branch.

It was alleged that despite the amendments introduced by the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act, 2019, which raised penalties for traffic violations significantly, the Delhi government's transport department had not yet appointed authorised officers or established compounding fees.

Additionally, the Virtual Court (Traffic) portal www.vcourts.gov.in was found to accept payments of traffic challans above Rs 2,000 only through credit cards or online banking, posing a challenge for individuals lacking such payment methods.

The amendments include substantial penalties for offences such as not giving way to emergency vehicles, over-speeding, dangerous driving, drunken driving, driving without insurance, driving without a helmet, and lacking a valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate. The penalty amounts vary depending on the specific violation, ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000.