TN changes the Motor Vehicles Act, staring at women can now be a criminal offense

Chennai 20th, August : The amended Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Act has now included a provision that could lead to the detention of anyone who stares at women while riding the busThe act of whistling, obscenities gestures, sexual overtures, and obscene gestures against women are also included in the category of criminal acts in the state following the amendment of the Act.

As per the revised Act the bus conductor is required to remove every male passenger or transfer him to the police station in the event that he does not behave with female passengers on the journey.Sexually inappropriate conduct by men and women will also face severe punishments under the rules of law.The new Act also provides that conductors who touch women who are waiting to board or get off the bus under the pretense that he was helping her, he will be punished.The conductor should not make any jokes , remarks or make sexually explicit remarks about women passengers.

Conductors are obliged to take anyone male passengers from the seat he is seated in and ask him to exit the bus when he has made sexual advances to a female passenger after conducting a thorough investigation with fellow passengers as to whether he was indeed making an overt sexual gesture to the female passenger.The rules also require the conductor to keep an open book of complaints to be provided to all passengers to make a record of complaints about the lack of tasks carried out by the conductor.

The complaint book must be handed in to an authority for motor vehicles, or the police in the event of a need.aal/ .