Kolkata: A day after Kolkata Police announced their decision to levy a penalty of Rs 5,000 on motorists in case of breakdowns caused due to non-maintenance of vehicles or fuel getting exhausted on Maa and AJC Bose flyovers, cops clarified the penalty under Motor Vehicles Act is not a new introduction and it was not their intention to demonstrate “bigger collections in state exchequer” by pursuing cases against motorists .
A deputy commissioner said, “We have been slapping this section 190(1) of Motor Vehicles Act on motorists even in the past. The amended MV Act has revised the fine from Rs 700 to Rs 5,000. The police have no role in deciding the amount.”
“Suppose a car develops a flat tyre due to a sharp object on the road. But if that tyre is a resoled one, we have a defined case to invoke section 190 (1) of MV Act. If a car stops on flyover as it might have crossed a waterlogged street before, the section will not be invoked. But if we see the there is no petrol in the vehicle, or motorists taking a cigarette break due to a traffic snarl is holding up traffic, we will take action,” an officer said.
Cops said the penalty can be contested in court or with proof before the DCP Traffic. “We have asked officers to store footage of the violation,” the DCP said.