Traffic fine cut: ambivalent legal advice
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Thiruvananthapuram: The government received a neither-here-nor-there legal advice regarding reduction of traffic fines.
The legal department has given the ambivalent advice as an answer when the traffic department sought legal option to reduce traffic fines.
The advice was much like, “the government could fix the rates based on the powers vested in the state government’. The advice didn’t specifically say whether the government could reduce rates.
In the meeting held on September 21 presided by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the legal department quoting by Justice Arijit Pasayat’s 2005 Supreme Court order argued that cuts could be made in specific errors.
Following this, the legal department was tasked to study the possibilities of cutting the fines.
Alongside, Motor Vehicle Department was asked to submit proposals regarding the rates of cut to be made.
When MV Department submitted its proposal in view of the possibilities, the legal department backed away from its earlier stand.
Given the situation, the MV Department decided to go ahead after discussing with the minister and if needed consulting with the Chief Minister as well. The government might cut fines in seven offences in which government has power to make cuts.
