New Delhi:
Those who like to talk on their cellphones while driving need to revise their habit.
The union cabinet has approved an array of amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act. These will amp up the punishment for not using seatbelts, jumping red lights, and driving drunk. The new rules will apply across the country if parliament approves of them.
Anyone caught talking on their cellphone while driving will be charged Rs 500 the first time; repeat performances will lead to fines up to Rs 5000.
Drunk drivers will be penalized according to the amount of alcohol found in their blood. Fines will start with Rs 2000 and/or six months in prison; higher alcohol amounts will double that punishment. If the driver is caught drunk again within three years of his or her first offence, fines up to Rs 10,000 and a jail term of four years could apply.
Those found to be driving dangerously - for example, motoring on the wrong side of the road- will face a fine of Rs 1000 and/or up to six months in jail. Repeat offences will see the fine increasingly substantially.
Those caught jumping red lights, not wearing seatbelts or helmets will pay Rs 500 the first time; the current fine for these violations is Rs 100. Repeat offences will come with fines up to Rs 1500 (up from Rs 300 that drivers pay now for recurring violations)
Those caught speeding will pay Rs 1000 instead of Rs 400. Subsequent offences will cost them upto Rs 5000, five times what repeat offenders pay today.