The Mumbai Rickshawmen’s Union has called on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to urgently implement recent amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act that would allow minor traffic offences to be settled on the spot, rather than through lengthy court proceedings.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, the Union highlighted the lack of state action on the Centre’s amendment to Section 177A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, introduced under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. The amendment makes various minor traffic offences compoundable — allowing violators to pay fines immediately without facing court cases.
While welcoming the Centre’s move, the Union expressed concern that enforcement of the amendment in Maharashtra remains stalled in the absence of a state-level penalty notification. The Union noted that it had previously raised the issue during a meeting with the Transport Commissioner on September 3, 2025, and cited a guidance letter dated July 28, 2025, from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, which confirmed the compoundable status of these offences.
“This is a very welcome step, and we congratulate the government for introducing it,” said Assistant Secretary Tejas Samant, who signed the letter on behalf of General Secretary Thampy Kurien. “But without state-level action, enforcement remains in limbo.”
The Union pointed out that before December 2021, over 45 minor traffic violations could be settled directly by paying fines to traffic police. However, following the replacement of the Rules of the Road Regulation with the Motor Vehicle Drivers Regulation, officers have been compelled to file Local Act Cases (LACs) in regular courts — a shift that has slowed enforcement and strained judicial resources.
“This change has not only overburdened courts but has also resulted in wastage of officers’ time,” the letter stated. “In many cases, traffic police now hesitate to register minor violations at all, weakening overall enforcement.”
Among the offences affected are common infractions such as signal jumping, wrong parking, and blocking traffic — violations that the Union argues should be resolved on the spot to ensure efficiency and accountability.
“Timely implementation will ease the burden on courts, save valuable administrative resources, and help restore effective traffic management,” the letter concluded.
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