Located in the eastern part of the country, West Bengal is known for its delicious cuisine and rich culture. With its proximity to major states and national highways, there has been a clear rise in road traffic in this area. As of 2022, the traffic police data reveals about 178 accidents, which killed 185 people in Kolkata itself.
This alarming rate of road accidents has encouraged the government to amend the current provisions and rules of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988. The amendments to this act in 2019 have made some major changes to West Bengal traffic fines.
Keep reading to get a better understanding of the new traffic fines in West Bengal.
According to the recent amendments made to the Motor Vehicle Act 1988, the state government of West Bengal has made some changes to the existing traffic fines. Here is a detailed list of new traffic fines following the amendments made around 2019:
Violation |
Penalty |
Driving/Riding without Licence |
₹5000 |
Driving without Seat Belt |
₹1000 |
Riding without Helmet (rider and pillion rider) |
₹1000 |
Driving/Riding without Registration |
₹5000 for first offence, ₹10000 for repeat offenders |
Overspeeding |
₹1000 for first offence, ₹2000 for repeat offenders for two-wheelers ₹2000 for first offence, ₹4000 for repeat offenders for four-wheelers |
Driving/Riding without Insurance |
₹2000 for first offence, ₹4000 for repeat offenders |
Speeding and Racing |
₹5000 for first offence, ₹10000 for repeat offenders |
Dangerous Driving |
₹5000 for first offence, ₹10000 for repeat offenders |
Driving/Riding While on the Mobile (Handheld) |
₹5000 for first offence, ₹10000 for repeat offenders |
Driving/Riding Despite Disqualification |
₹10000 |
Not Giving Way to Emergency Vehicles like Ambulances, Fire Engines, etc. |
₹10000 |
Driving Without a Number Plate |
₹500 for first offence, ₹1500 for repeat offenders |
Overloading Two-wheelers |
₹2000 |
Driving/riding Under the Influence of an Intoxicating Substance |
₹10000 |
Violating Road Regulations |
₹1000 |
Juvenile Offences |
₹25000 |
Loading Excess Luggage |
₹500 for first offence, ₹1500 for repeat offenders |
Vehicles Without Permit |
₹10000 |
Honking in a Silent Zone |
₹1000 for first offence, ₹2000 for repeat offenders |
Driving Without Fitness Certificate |
₹10000 |
Violation of Traffic Signals |
₹500 for first offence, ₹1500 for repeat offenders |
Driving Without a PUC certificate |
₹2000 |
Dangerous Overtaking |
₹500 for first offence, ₹1500 for repeat offenders |
Parking in a No-parking Zone |
₹500 for first offence, ₹1500 for repeat offenders |
While the central government introduced new traffic fines as per the amendments made in the Motor Vehicles Act in 2019, the West Bengal government recently decided to implement these in February 2022. Mostly, the traffic fines have increased, which is a mechanism to curb road accidents and unhealthy traffic management. This is evident from a drop of 6% in fatal accident rates in 2022 as compared to 2021.
Taking a quick glance at the updated traffic fines shows an inclination towards an increase in traffic fines. For instance, driving without a valid licence attracts a fine of up to ₹5000, a sharp increase from a previous fine of ₹500.
The state government of West Bengal has avoided the hike in traffic fines from 2019 to 2022, keeping the interests and financial capabilities of the residents in mind. However, with the implementation of the new rule, the government is trying to reduce the number of traffic rule violations. The residents are likely to avoid such violations if they are subject to paying high traffic fines.
As a citizen of West Bengal, following a few simple rules can help you avoid hefty traffic fines.
That gives you a detailed overview of West Bengal traffic fines. It has recently been updated, increasing the fines drastically from the past. This is a move to reduce traffic violations and offences, thereby controlling the alarming rate of road accidents. However, you can avoid such heavy fines by following traffic regulations in West Bengal.
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Disclaimer: This information is added only for informative purposes and collected from different sources across the Internet. Digit Insurance is not promoting or recommending anything here. Please verify the information before making any decisions.
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