Penalty for failure to comply order

17. Where the Authority or the Road Safety Commissioner or, as the case may be, the Enforcement Officer is of the opinion that any officer of the Government department or public authority or local authority or any person of public, public or private institutions refuses or fails to comply with any written order or direction of the Authority or Road Safety or Enforcement officer or any order passed under this Act except under sub-section

1. (2) of section 15, it shall impose a penalty by reasoned order of five hundred rupees each day till the compliance of the order or direction of the Road Safety Commissioner or the Enforcement officer, so however, the total amount of such penalty shall not exceed twenty-five thousand rupees: Provided that any officer of the Government department or public authority or local authority or any person of public, public or private institutions, as the case may be, shall be given a reasonable opportunity of being heard before any penalty imposed on him: Provided further that the burden of proving that he acted reasonably and diligently shall be on such officer of the Government department or public authority or local authority or any person of public, public or private institutions, as the case may be.