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State triples fines for traffic offences, to levy green tax on old vehicles
In an effort to curb the pollution levels in the state, the government on Wednesday decided to levy an environment tax on transport vehicles that were over eight years old and on private vehicles that were 15 years old. It also decided to hike the punishment for motorists to curb violations of traffic norms.
The state government believes that levying the new tax will force the owners to take their old vehicles off the road, thus reducing pollution and simultaneously, the vehicles being plied on the road will ensure collection of the tax.
A private two wheeler which have completed 15 years since its first registration will be charged Rs 2,000 for the next five years. The tax burden on a private petrol vehicle will be Rs 3,000 and diesel vehicle Rs 3,500. Transport vehicles which have completed eight years since their initial registration will have to pay a one time tax for every five years, while the CNG vehicles will have to pay the tax after 15 years — Rs 750 for an auto rickshaw, Rs 1,250 for a meter taxi which has a seating capacity of up to six and Rs 2,500 for tourist taxis and lighter goods vehicles.
The medium, heavy and other transport vehicles that have a capacity of over 7,500 kilogram and have completed eight years since their registration will be charged environment tax per year at the rate of 10 per cent of their annual tax. The buses running on contractual permits, private service vehicle permit and tourist buses will be charged environment tax at the rate of 2.5 per cent of their annual tax. The cabinet approved amendments to the Mumbai Motor Vehicles Tax Act, 1958 in this regard.
To crack down on rash driving, the state cabinet decided to hike the fines for offences like rash driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, disobedience of law, obstruction and refusal of information, allowing unauthorised persons to drive vehicles, offences relating to licences, using vehicle without registration or without permit and driving uninsured vehicles by amending the relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
The state will make a recommendation to the Centre to hike the fine by three times. The compounding fees for offences have also been hiked three times. The provisions regarding punishments have not been modified since the law came into existence in 1988.
The cabinet also approved a new regional transport office at Panvel and sub- regional transport offices at Vasai and Borivali. The state transport department has set a revenue target of Rs 3,000 crore in 2010- 11.
Maharashtra has over six lakh transport vehicles which are over eight years old and 15 lakh non-transport vehicles which are 15 years old.
The proceeds from the collection of the new environment tax will be used for pollution control, strengthening the public transport system and for setting up a modern system for issuing fitness certificates to vehicles.
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