Lahore: The provincial government has implemented the new Motor Vehicle Amendment Act in Punjab, abolishing the previous ordinance based on strict penalties and heavy fines related to traffic laws, under which fines for several violations have been significantly reduced.
After the signing of the bill by Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider, the immediate implementation of the new law has started across the province.
According to officials, the aim of this move is to reduce public problems and make traffic laws more balanced.Under the amendment bill, the fine for not having a driving license has been reduced from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5,000, while the prison sentence for one-way violation has been abolished and now only a fine of Rs 5,000 will have to be paid.
Similarly, the earlier penalty of imprisonment and heavy fine for driving under the age of 10 has been abolished and a fine of Rs 10,000 has been fixed. Fines have also been significantly reduced in cases like driving without a fitness certificate, overloading and carrying passengers on the roof of the vehicle.
The Punjab Governor said that in the current economic situation, citizens are already under pressure due to inflation, so extraordinary fines in the name of traffic laws were not appropriate.
According to him, the aim of the new amendments is to reduce the financial burden on ordinary citizens while maintaining the rule of law.Different opinions are emerging on this decision in legal and transport circles.
Some experts are calling it a people-friendly move, while some circles say that excessive lenience in fines may affect the implementation of traffic laws.
