If you are riding a vehicle in Maharashtra, be sure to carry your driving license (DL), registration certificate (RC), and relevant permits, as the Traffic Police have been authorised to seize the vehicle if any of the essential documents is found missing during vehicle check. The Additional Director General (Traffic), Dr Suresh Kumar Mekla, has issued a strict directive to all police units in the State directing them to confiscate vehicle if the driver/rider fails to produce necessary documents. In his order, ADG Mekla stated that it is mandatory for every driver/rider to carry his/her driving license, vehicle registration certificate issued by the Regional Transport Office (RTO), and any permit, license, or certificate needed for vehicles used for specific purposes. Additionally, the minimum age for drivers must be 18 years, while drivers of goods vehicles must be at least 20 years-old.

 

Those found in violation of these regulations will face on-the-spot vehicle seizure. He also directed to seize the vehicle with proper procedure including making entry in the police diary. Dr Mekla also instructed Police Unit Commanders to initiate disciplinary action against the policemen who fail to follow the directives. A senior police official stated that this directive is part of a larger initiative to curb increasing number of accidents involving teenage drivers. He pointed to a high-profile Porsche car crash case of Pune where the accused driver was not legally entitled to drive the car as he was underage. In many cases, it was found that parents allowed underage children to drive/ride vehicle which resulted in severe accidents, he added. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Traffic Nagpur City, Archit Chandak stated that the directives of ADG Traffic Dr Mekla were received at Nagpur. The Nagpur Traffic Police would start a special drive in this regard. Citizens are urged to drive/ride vehicle with all necessary documents.

 

Maharashtra Police’s e-Challan project was launched in 2019. This brought a sea change in handling traffic violations across the State. The system allows for filing compoundable and non-compoundable cases against vehicle drivers/riders who are found violating the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, stated Dr Mekla. The standard operating procedure (SOP) for handling e-Challan cases includes allowing violators to pay fines voluntarily for compoundable offenses. However, if the violator refuses to pay the fine, the case will be escalated and a charge-sheet will be filed in the court. If a violator fails to appear in the court, the police station concerned is empowered to request vehicle seizure with permission of the court. The action aims to streamline the enforcement of traffic rules and reduce violations effectively.