The blacklisting of 13.5 lakh vehicles in Kerala for defaulting on fines amounting to ₹135 crore imposed by Motor Vehicles’ Department (MVD) for traffic rule violations has led to vehicle owners turning up in large numbers to remit fines at Regional Transport Offices (RTOs).
Of the pending ₹135 crore, the department has set a target of collecting at least ₹75 crore within a year. The increased compliance rate in fine payment has led to ₹3.26 crore of long overdue fines being remitted in June alone. Fines totalling ₹122 crore have already been remitted.
Why the rush
“The defaulters include owners of premium cars. The increasing compliance rate has been attributed to blocking of MVD services, insurance payment, and issuance of pollution certificates for the blacklisted vehicles. Many owners hastily paid up, since they struggled to even get passport to go abroad,” official sources said.
The unpaid fines date back to 2012, when a project was launched to establish CCTVs along highways and arterial roads and to monitor them from control rooms. Those who have not yet paid the fines could include vehicle owners – especially those who have not received the notice or phone message to remit fines. They are often caught off guard when they find that their vehicle has been blacklisted for not paying fine, it is learnt.
Where to check
Motorists have been asked to check the links ‘citizen corner’, ‘fine remittance’ and ‘camera surveillance’ in the website www.mvd.kerala.gov.in. They have the option of paying online, or through Janaseva, Akshaya centres or through MVD’s e-seva counters.
The blacklisting of 13.5 lakh vehicles and the rolling out of Parivahan in 2019 have led to the increasing compliance in remitting fines. Vehicle owners can also add their phone numbers to www.parivahan.gov.in portal to get messages of fine amounts imposed for rule violations involving their vehicles, sources said.
