No 'lungi dance' for UP truck drivers under amended MV Act: Authorities to levy Rs 2,000 fine for wearing garment

With the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act having come into force since 1 September, several people have protested about the steep penalties stipulated by the legislation. However, truck drivers in Uttar Pradesh have an entirely different worry after the enforcement of the law: their attire. Under the amended Act, truck drivers in Uttar Pradesh will have to pay a Rs 2,000 fine if they are found wearing a lungi and a vest. While a dress code has been in existence under the Motor Vehicles Act for decades, it was largely not enforced, pointed out a report in The Times of India . Authorities in Uttar Pradesh have fixed the penalty for not adhering to the dress code at Rs 2,000, a steep increase from the earlier amount of Rs 500.

Under the new provisions, truck drivers and helpers will have to wear full-length trousers with a shirt of T-shirt. News18 quoted Additional Transport Commissioner (Uttar Pradesh) Gangaphal as saying that the rule will be for everyone “even if it is a government vehicle driver.”