Do you park or drive motorised vehicles on non-motor vehicle (NMV) lanes in Delhi? If yes, then it’s time to mend your habits or shell out Rs 2,000.  In a bid to reclaim the NMV lanes for cyclist rickshaws, including e-rickshaws, the Transport Department of Delhi Government has announced that “..to regulate the uninterrupted movement of Non Motorised Vehicle (NMV) in interest of public safety and convenience of general public in Delhi, wherever such NMV lanes have been provided and indicated by signages, do hereby, prohibit the plying and idle parking of all categories of motor vehicles…”.

The order issued by Deputy Secretary (State Transport Authority) V K Mongia says that the violation of these orders will attract a fine of Rs 2,000 as per section 194 of Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has authorised officers of Assistant Sub-Inspector rank or above of traffic police and Head Constable or above rank officers of Transport Department to penalise the offenders.

The notification will come in effect from the date of its publication in the official gazette. Vehicles attending emergency services or duty will be exempted.

In May, the Delhi High Court, expressing a concern over slow progress of development of NMV lanes, had asked the government to consider issuing a notification and possibilities of installing CCTV cameras to monitor traffic in these lanes. It had also asked possibilities of giving civil defense volunteers for regulating traffic in NMVs.