"Driving Without Sufficient Fuel": Traffic Challan From Kerala Goes Viral

Two-wheeler riders get fined for not wearing helmet or ignoring other safety protocols. But a man in Kerala received a challan which said that he was riding his motorcycle without sufficient fuel with passengers. The image of the e-challan sent by of Kerala Traffic Police was posted by the man on his Facebook page and is now circulating online and gaining traction. The man was riding his Royal Enfield motorcycle when the challan was issued, according to cartoq.com. The image of the Traffic Police e-challan mentions the name of the man as Basil Syam and fine amount as Rs 250.

BikeDekho, which covers news about automobile sector, said in a report that it reached out to Mr Syam for a comment. The man said he was on his way to his workplace when a local traffic policeman asked him to stop for driving in opposite direction in one-way street.

Mr Syam said he was asked to pay a fine of Rs 250 for the offence, to which he duly complied. It was only after reaching office that he looked at the challan and found the reason to be 'Driving without sufficient fuel with passengers', reported BikeDekho.

Many local news outlets and content creators on YouTube reported about the incident and said there is no such clause in Indian Motor Vehicle Act or state law to prohibit anyone from driving/riding their vehicle with low fuel.

According to Mashable, the only fuel-related offence mentioned in Kerala transport law is that if a commercial vehicle - like van, car, bus and auto - runs out of fuel before commuting the passengers to the destination then the driver or the owner of the vehicle has to pay a fine of Rs 250.

The outlet's report is based on a video released by former Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) inspector Thankachan TJ who also urged the transport department to be careful while issuing challans.