Hyderabad Traffic Fines & Rules: List, Penalties

With a population estimated to be 1.1 crores, Hyderabad is the sixth most populated city in India. With a comprehensive network of roads, flyovers, ring roads, subways, etc. Hyderabad witnesses the in and outflow of millions of vehicles, especially in the Cyberabad region. Nonetheless, much like every other growing city, the city faces all sorts of traffic problems, including congested roads and traffic jams. To manage all these, curb traffic violations, and ensure an efficient flow of traffic, there are 9 traffic commissionerates set up in the city.

As per recent data, the Hyderabad Traffic Police issued over 49 lakh challans in the first half of 2024 alone, showcasing an alarming rise in traffic offences due to a lack of awareness and sheer ignorance of the law. From wrong-lane driving to improper number plates, there are various traffic rules that one must be conscious of to drive safely in and around Hyderabad. Therefore, in this article, we have compiled a brief list of common traffic fines, rules, and challans so that you know what not to do the next time you are on the road.

Hyderabad Traffic Rules and Fines: The Governing Statute

When it comes to motor vehicles, the Motor Vehicle Act 1988 is the central statute that regulates and governs almost every aspect of road transport, including penalties and challans for traffic violations. Being a central legislation, it equally applies to every state across India, including Hyderabad and the rest of Telangana. In 2019, the Motor Vehicle Act was amended by the central government, enhancing the penalties for almost every offence in a bid to further strengthen the enforcement of the act as well as to reduce traffic violations and fatal accidents across the nation. Traffic regulations, challans, rules, regulations, and penalties under the Motor Vehicle Act can be categorised into several heads based on offences related to vehicle maintenance, driving, documentation, etc.  

Traffic Violations Related to Driving

Hyderabad is a strong contributor towards the digital revolution that the nation has adopted to curb traffic violations. With the use of the latest technologies such as Over Speed Violation Detection (OSVD) Cameras, AI-infused traffic monitoring, Optical Character Recognition, Automatic Number Plate Recognition Systems, and the good old on-field policing system, Hyderabad has managed to digitise traffic management quite well. In fact, of the 49 lakh challan issued in the first half of 2024, 75% were fully contactless, thanks to the city’s robust surveillance system. With a rise in traffic challans each year, traffic violations are strictly governed and heavily penalised in Hyderabad, with the vehicles of repeated offenders being seized, along with them being charge-sheeted. Therefore, it is important to know the list of common driving-related violations that are commonly penalised in Hyderabad as per the Motor Vehicle Act.

Dangerous Driving

Governed under Section 184 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving a motor vehicle at high speeds or in any manner that is dangerous to the public, including the offence of red-light jumping, use of mobile while driving, stop-sign traffic violation, unlawful overtake, wrong side driving will constitute an offence of dangerous driving, which is punished with:

• Imprisonment for a term not less than 6 months but which may extend to 1 year (for the first offence) or
• With a fine not less than Rs. 1,000 but which may extend to Rs. 5,000 (for the first offence) or
• With Both (for the first offence)
• Imprisonment that may extend to 2 years (for the second/subsequent offence within 3 years of the first offence) or 
• With a fine that may extend to Rs. 10,000 (for the second/subsequent offence within 3 years of the first offence) or
• With Both (for the second/subsequent offence within 3 years of the first offence)
• In addition to the penalty and fine, the offender may also be liable to render community service.

With the fast-paced corporate lifestyle now taking a toll on employees, especially in IT hubs like Cyberabad, the time-bound schedules are forcing people to drive recklessly without caring about the consequences. Perhaps that is the reason why in the first half of 2024 alone, the Cyberabad commissionerate of Hyderabad issued around 1.54 lakh challans for dangerous driving and about 7,400 challans for the use of a mobile phone while driving.

Drunk Driving

Governed under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving under the influence of Alcohol and/or Drugs constitutes the offence of Drunk Driving, which is a strict offence andentails a penalty of:

• Imprisonment of up to 6 months (for the first offence) or 
• With a fine of Rs. 10,000 (for the first offence) or
• With Both (for the first offence)
• Imprisonment of up to 2 Years (f(for the second/subsequent offence) or 
• With a fine of Rs. 10,000 ((for the second/subsequent offence) or
• With Both (for the second/subsequent offence)

With Hyderabad having a wide range of restaurants, clubs, pubs, hotels, lounges and even farmhouses that thrive all week round, drinking and driving constitute one of the most common causes of fatal accidents and mishaps. As per the data, over 51,200 challans were issued for drunk driving in the Cyberabad commissionerate alone in six months, ranging from January to June 2024. Therefore, it is always advised to either book a cab or have a chauffeur along every time you plan to go on an outing that involves alcohol.

Overspeeding

Governed under Section 183 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving or causing a motor vehicle to be driven at speeds exceeding the requisite speed limit is an act of overspeeding, which is punished with:

• A fine of Rs. 1,000 to 2,000 in the case of Light Motor Vehicles for the first offence
• A fine of Rs. 2,000 to 4,000 in the case of Medium/Heavy Goods Vehicle or Medium/Heavy Passenger Vehicle for the first offence
• Impounding of License for the second and every subsequent offence 
• In addition to the penalty and fine, the offender may also be liable to render community service, which was a step added in 2019 to instil a sense of community responsibility in offenders.

Driving with Excess Passenger

Governed under Section 194A of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving with more passengers than what the registration certificate of the vehicle specifies constitutes the offence of driving with Excess Passengers, which is punished with:

• A fine of Rs. 200 for every excess passenger

Driving Without a Seat Belt

Governed under Section 194B of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving without wearing a seat belt constitutes the offence of driving without a seat belt, which is punished with:

• A fine of Rs. 1,000.

Driving in Excess of Permissible Weight Limit

Governed under Section 194 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving a motor vehicle or causing it to be driven with weight exceeding the permissible weight limit constitutes the offence of driving over the permissible weight limit, which is punished with:

• A fine of Rs. 20,000 along with
• A fine of Rs. 2,000 per tonne of excess load

Failure to Give Way to Emergency Vehicles

Governed under Section 194E of the Motor Vehicle Act, whoever fails to give way to an emergency vehicle such as a fire brigade or an ambulance, etc. by drawing their motor vehicle to the side of the road constitutes the offence of failure to give way to an emergency vehicle, which is punished with:

• Imprisonment of up to 6 months or
• A fine of Rs. 10,000 or
• Both

Violating Traffic Rules

Governed under Section 177A of the Motor Vehicle Act, traffic violation of any road regulation shall constitute an offence of violation of traffic rules, which is punished with:

• A fine of Rs. 500 to 1,000

The tool that tackles almost every road violation that does not find a specific mention, Section 177A is often used by traffic personnel to challan offences like improper number plates, improper parking, defective headlights etc.

Traffic Violations Related to Documentation

When it comes to a safe drive, following traffic rules isn’t enough. The possession of all legal documents, permits, licenses, insurance, etc, is a crucial aspect when it comes to driving lawfully on public roads. Any traffic violation related to the possession of such documents is also an offence under the Motor Vehicle Act attracting various penalties. Therefore, it is crucial to know the repercussions of not possessing relevant documents while driving and a list of related challenges that might follow:

Using a Vehicle without Registration

Governed under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving a motor vehicle without registration constitutes an offence of using a vehicle without registration, which is punished with

• A fine of Rs. 2,000 to 5,000 (for the first offence)
• A fine of Rs. 5,000 to 10,000 (for the second/subsequent offence) or
• Imprisonment of up to 1 year (for the second/subsequent offence) or 
• With Both (for the second/subsequent offence) 

Using a Vehicle without a Permit

Governed under Section 192A of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving a motor vehicle without a valid and requisite permit constitutes an offence of using a vehicle without a permit, which is punished with

• Imprisonment of up to 6 months (for the first offence) or
• A fine of Rs. 10,000 (for the first offence)
• Imprisonment of 6 months which may extend to up to 1 year (for the second/subsequent offence) or
• A fine of Rs. 10,000 (for the second/subsequent offence) or
• With Both (for the second/subsequent offence) 

Driving without a Valid Driving License

Governed under Section 181 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving without a valid driving license, or underage driving in contravention of the driving license requirements constitutes the offence of driving without a License, which is punished with:

• Imprisonment of up to 3 months or
• A Fine of Rs. 5,000 or 
• Both
• In addition to the penalty and fine, the offender may also be liable to render community service.

Driving Uninsured Vehicle

Governed under Section 196 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving a motor vehicle without a valid insurance certificate constitutes an offence of using a vehicle without insurance, which is punished with:

• Imprisonment of up to 3 months (for the first offence) or
• A fine of Rs. 2,000 (for the first offence) or
• With Both (for the first offence)
• Imprisonment of up to 3 months (for the second/subsequent offence) or
• A fine of Rs. 4,000 (for the second/subsequent offence) or
• With Both (for the second/subsequent offence) 

Driving Without a Valid Pollution Certificate

Governed under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving without a valid pollution certificate constitutes an offence of driving without a valid PUC, which is punished with:

• A fine of Rs. 1,000 (for the first offence) or
• A fine of Rs. 2,000 (for the second/subsequent offence)

How to Check and Pay Traffic Challan in Hyderabad

With the use of technologies such as OSVD Cameras, Traffic Violation Detection Cameras, Speed Guns, Interceptors, etc, traffic violation detection and challan issuance have increased manifolds. The majority of challans in Hyderabad are now being issued virtually. Therefore, it is also important to know how to check for a virtual challan online. Here are the steps to check the virtual challan in Hyderabad:

• Step 1: Visit the official M-Parivahan website.
• Step 2: Choose the e-Challan System 
• Step 3: Click on ‘Get Challan Details’
• Step 4: Pick the most suited option to get challan details for your vehicle. You can choose between Vehicle Number, DL Number or Challan Number to get all the challan details.
• Step 5: Depending upon the selected option, enter the details and click ‘Get Detail’
• Step 6: The details of all your issued and pending challan will be shown. Verify all information and click ‘Pay Now’.
• Step 7: Select your preferred payment option to make the payment.
• Step 8: Upon completion of the payment, an acknowledgement will be provided with the transaction ID for future reference.

FAQ’s