DigiLocker, mParivahan App Can Be Used by Motorists to Show Documents and Avoid Hefty Penalties

If stopped by a traffic cop for valid papers, then you may show documents stored in DigiLocker to avoid hefty penalties under the amended motor vehicles law. A senior Road Transport Ministry official said that motorists can produce documents using DigiLocker or mParivahan mobile app. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which aims to enforce stricter penalties for road traffic violations, went into effect at the start of this month.

"Motorists can produce digital documents. Digital documents do not mean scanned copy or a photo of driving license, RC (registration certificate) or insurance. They have to be stored on DigiLocker or mParivahan app," the official said.

An amended provision in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 allows citizens to produce transport-related documents such as registration, insurance, fitness and permit, the driving licence, pollution check certificate and any other relevant documents in electronic form.

"This would enable the use of digital platforms for carrying and verification of the documents and is a step towards citizen facilitation," says the advisory sent to the state police and transport departments on November 19, 2018.

The penalties for road rule violations have gone up significantly after the new Motor Vehicle Act came into force from September 1, 2019. As per the new guidelines, the penalty for driving without a licence has been hiked from Rs. 500 to Rs. 5,000, while for driving without qualification, the fine has been raised from Rs. 500 to Rs. 10,000.

For over speeding, the penalty has been increased from Rs. 400 to Rs. 1,000 for light motor vehicles and 2,000 for medium passenger vehicles. For driving without using a seat belt, the fine has been hiked from Rs. 100 to Rs. 1,000.