Heavy vehicles using right lane may fined

Heavy vehicles will not be allowed to run on the first right lane on city roads and all state highways.

NAVI MUMBAI: Heavy vehicles will not be allowed to run on the first right lane on city roads and all state highways. Additional director general of police (traffic), Vinay Kargaonkar, was likely to issue the notification this week as a strong measure to curb accidents. The notification will now be issued in a couple of days.

Heavy vehicles using right lane may soon be fined 5,000

Current penalty is Rs 200 for heavy vehicles plying in the first lane, but the notification will restrict entry henceforth. It will now attract provision of dangerous driving under the Motor Vehicles Act with a fine of Rs 1,000. The amendment to the Act following assent by the President will hike the penalty to Rs 5,000.

This will be the second notification after the one issued on July 15, restricting movement of heavy vehicles on the far right lane on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, said Vijay Patil, superintendent of police, Highway Safety Patrol.

This move is in sync with India being a signatory to WHO declaration in Brazil in 2015 wherein road accidents were sought to be scaled down 10% annually each year. Heavy vehicles have a lower speed limit to ply and when they enter first right, it slows down vehicular movement as also overtaking from the left side that leads to accidents.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2YAwfgz