The Transport Department has issued two separate notifications concerning amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and compliance requirements for vehicle owners in the state.
In the first notification, the department stated that offences under Section 177A of the Motor Vehicles Act – relating to violations of regulations under Section 118 – had not been included under compoundable offences in Section 200 of the Act prior to the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. With the amendment, Section 177A has now been made a compoundable offence, enabling authorized officers to impose penalties without court proceedings.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, through Notification S.O. 227(E) dated January 13, 2025, brought into force the provision listed at Serial No. 26 of the Schedule to the Jan Vishwas Act. Following this, the Transport Department notified that Section 177A shall be treated as a compoundable offence in the interest of public safety. Officers empowered under the State Government’s Notification dated November 12, 2020, will now be authorized to compound offences under Section 177A.
In a separate notification, the department reminded vehicle owners of their obligations under Section 55 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Vehicle owners are required to inform the registering authority within fourteen days if a vehicle has been destroyed or rendered permanently unfit for use, and to surrender the registration certificate for cancellation.
Under Section 55(3), the registering authority may cancel the registration of a vehicle deemed beyond reasonable repair or unsafe for public use after giving the owner an opportunity to make a representation. However, the department noted that data from the VAHAN application shows that many owners have failed to report such cases, leading to complications including tax arrears, non-compliance with registration renewal, and continued plying of unfit or uninsured vehicles.
Exercising powers under Section 55(3), the Transport Department has now directed all vehicle owners who have not renewed their registration certificates for five years or more to either renew or cancel their registration within 30 days from the issuance of the Office Memorandum. Failure to comply will result in the registering authorities initiating cancellation proceedings, presuming the vehicle to be unfit or unsafe for road use.