The amendments to the Land Transport Act, namely the confiscation and voiding of a license to drive land vehicles if a traffic penalty exceeds MVR 5,000, has come into force.
Previously, licenses can only be voided if the license for land vehicles is expired, and if license credit points keep dropping and get to zero if an individual is in violation of the regulations under the act.
The new act states that if anyone who has a license for a land vehicle encounters any of the following situations, their licenses will be confiscated:
- A violation of the act and regulations drafted under the act.
- If there is appropriate reason to believe if an individual is lacking in any of the requirements defined in the act.
- If an individual has unpaid fees or fines defined in the act equal to or exceeding MVR 5,000.
As per the act, licenses can be confiscated if the traffic police determines such a situation has transpired or if a judicial court issues an order. Based on this, if a person's license is confiscated, the ministry has to ascertain whether the individual is lacking in any requirement stipulated by the act. If lacking, their license will be voided as defined in the act.
If a license is temporarily withheld, temporary permission will be granted as usual for land vehicles to be driven for 48 hours, unless expressly stated otherwise. If there is no arrangement where fines can be paid during official holidays, the 48 hours will be counted without including official holidays.
According to the new act, driving a land vehicle without having a license to drive or operate a vehicle or driving with an expired license or driving while an individual's license has been confiscated or driving without a temporary license, is prohibited.
If a person drives without a license:
- MVR 1,000 penalty for the first offense.
- MVR 1,500 penalty for the second offense.
- MVR 2,000 penalty for the third offense.
For repeat offenses after the third one, the fine will be doubled based on the most recent fine.
Those who drive a land vehicle without a license that requires a license for driving or operating a land vehicle will be penalized as such, along with the vehicle being impounded for a maximum of 30 days, as per the act. The owner of the vehicle will be penalized for MVR 2,000 as well.
The act states that parking illegally will incur a fine of MVR 500 every time. Demerit points will be recorded on their land vehicle license. Additionally, parking in special zones will incur a fine of MVR 1,500. The special zones are:
- The corner of a road or side road where vehicles drive out from.
- Parking anywhere near a school that is not in the designated zones.
- Bus stop zones.
- Zebra crossings.
Giving control of a vehicle while driving to someone who does not have a license will also result in heavy fines, as per the act. Giving up control of the vehicle to a child, someone who does not have a drivers license and to the individual in the passenger's seat will result in a fine between MVR 25,000 and MVR 50,000. If it results in injury, a fine between MVR 50,000 and MVR 100,000 will be imposed.
The penalty for driving dangerously or recklessly is a fine between MVR 25,000 and MVR 100,000 in accordance with the degree of the crime. The act states that if the crime results in injury to another individual, the person who committed the crime will be penalized between MVR 100,000 and MVR 500,000.
