Schedule

Z v ACT 18 OF 1963* THE KERALA HACKNEY CARRIAGE ACT, 1963 An Act to unify and amend the Yaw relating to the regulation of Hackney . Carriages wn the State of Kerala i Preamble.— Whereas it 1s expedient to unify and amend the law fo relating to the regulation of Hackney Carriages in the State of Kerala; co Be it enacted in the Thirteenth Year of the Republic of India as : follows: — " CHAPTER I ( Preliminary | 1. Short tule, extent and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called ' the Kerala Hackney Carriage Act, 1963. | (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Kerala | (3) This {section and section 58 shall come into force in the ' whole of the State of Kerala at once. The temaining sections of this | Act shall come nto force at once in the areas specified in the schedule . and they shall come into force in other areas of the State on such date i ' as the Government may by notification in the Gazette appoint, and different dates may be appointed for different areas : Bn Provided that before issuing any such notification, the Govern- | | ment shall publish a notice of the proposal in the Gazette inviting » , objections thereto and consider any objections 1cceived within the - , time specified therefor in the notice. : . 2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise i N requires— | (1) “Director ’ means in relation to any area within the jurisdi- | ction of a Municipal Corporation or any area comprised in a Munici- ol pality or Township, the Director appointed under clause (13) of | section 3 of the Kerala Municipalities Act, 1960 (Act 14 of 1961) and ' in relation to any Panchayat area the Director appointed under clause BR (7) of section 2 of the Kerala Panchayats Act, 1960 (Act 32 of 1960) ; . (2) driving’ includes diawmg, pushing or propelling, and ! | | driver includes any person who drives, draws, pushes or propels any : i hackney carriage ; (3) © executive authority ’ means, in the case of a Municipal Corporation or Muracipal Council, the Commissioner of the Corporation : or council as the case may be ; in the caseof a Panchayat the executive ! authority of the Panchayat; and in the case of a Township, the executive officer of the Township Committee ; (4) < hackney carriage’ means any wheeled vehicle drawn, 5 pushed or propelled by a man, or drawn by horse, bullock or other ' " * Received the assent of the Governor on 15th March [963 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary dated 16th March 1963. ! i , | | i “ RN oo rr . \ : 91 animal and used for the conveyance of any person or goods and which stands or plies for hire by the hour or day or according to distance, and includes a rickshaw ; (5) ¢ horse ’ includes mule or pony ; (6) ¢ local authority > means— R NN (a) m any City, the Corporation of that City , ~ (6) in any Municipal area, the Municipal council concerned ; (¢) m any Panchayat area, the Panchayat concerned ; and (d) in any Township, the Township Committee concerned ; . (7) © Magistrate * means any magistrate having local jurisdiction in any area to which this Act extends ; + (8). minor ’ means any person who has not completed the age of eighteen years ; (9) ¢ registering authority * means the executive authority of the local authority concerned or any other person appointed by name or by virtue of his office, by the Government for registering hackney carri- ages within a particular area ; . (10) «rickshaw ’ means a two-wheeled vehicle or a tri-cycle of special type drawn or propelled by a person and includes a cycle-rick- shaw ; (11) < year of registration > means the year ending with the 31st day of March. 4 3. Saving.—Nothing mn this Act shall apply to a hackney carriage = owned by the Government or a local authority. CHAPTER 11 : Registration and Numbering of Hackney Carriages 4. Annual registration compulsory. —Every hackney carriage shall be annually 1egistered by the registering authority. 5. Application for Registry.—(1) Any person who 1s desirous of having any vehicle registered as a hackney carriage shall apply to the registering authority and shall submit the vehicle for such inspec- tion as the registering authoiity may direct. . 2 The person in whose name any carriage is registered shall be deemed to be the owner of such carriage for the purposes of this Act: Provided that if the person in whose name any carriage is registered is a minor, the guardian of such minor shall be deemed to be the owner of the carriage. 6. Right to Registry.—Every applicant under section 5 shall be A entitled to registration unless the registering authority is of opinion A that the vehicle is not fit for public use: Provided thatno vehicle shall be registered in the name of a minor unless the application is made by his guardian on behalf of the minor: . N M 7 2 / ) Provided further that the registering authority may, in the interest of the public,— (1) limit the number of vehicles of any description which may be registered annually, in which case no vehicle of that description shall be registered in any year in escess of the number so limited; (2) refuse to ‘register vehicles of a particular description in al which case no vehicle of that description shall be registered; = (3) limit the number of hand-pulled 1ickshaws to be registered many year, 10 a number which shall be less by 5 per cent than the number registered in the immediately preceding year. 7. Grant of carriage licence. —The registering authority shall, at the time of registration, deliver a licence duly signed by it to the applicant (2) A licence granted under this section shall be in force for the year of registration. 8. Form of licence.-~The following particulars shall be entered in the register and in the licence to be given to the applicant:— (1) The number in the 1egister of the hackney carriage. (2) The name and residence of the owner and the place where the hackney cairiage is kept. (3) A description of the hackney cari iage. (4) The number of horses or other animals to be einployed in drawing such hackney carriage and, if the hackney caiiiage is drawn or pushed or propelled by men, the number of men to be so employed. 5 (5) The number of passengers such hackney carriage is licensed - to cairy. (6) The weight of the luggage such carriage is licensed to carry 1n addition to the passengers. (7) The date of the licence and its date of expiry. 9. Fee for licence.—A Jee shall be paid to the registering authority foi each licence of such sum, as may be fixed by the Director, by noti~ fication in the Gagette, subject to the condition that no such fee shall exceed the fee specified hereundei. i Rs. nl. (a) for every four whecled caiiiage drawn • by two or more horses licensed to cary more than six passengers . 10 00 (b) for every other four wheeled carriage diawn by two hoses .. 5 00 (c) for every other four wheeled carriage drawn by one horse or by one or more bullocks .. 3 00 (d) for every two wheeled carriage drawn by one or more horses . 2 00 ¥ (¢) for every two wheeled carriage drawn R by one or more bullocks .. 1 0 (f) for every rickshaw, perambulator or other vehicle drawn, propelled or pushed i by man or in any other manner .. 0 50 Y J 10. Fee for certified copy of register or licence. — Every person applying for a certified copy of the particulars in the register or licence mentioned in section 8 shall he furnished the same on payment of a fee of twenty five naye paise. 11. Suspension of licence by Registering Authority. —The registering authority may suspend for such period as it thinks fit the licence of any 4 hackney carriage, whenever it appears to it that such carriage, or any h amimal or harness used therewith is unfit for public use. 12. Transfer of registry.—On any transfer of ownership of a hackney carriage, the transferee shall, if he desires to use 1t as such, within one week {rom the date of the transfer, apply to the registering authoiity for transfer of the registry, giving it the particulars specified in the fitst three clauses of section 8. 13. Notice of change of residence, cic. to be given by licensees.—(1) ‘Whenever the owner of a hackney carriage changes his residence, or the place where such carriage is kept, he shall within one week from the date of such change forward his licence and give to the registering authority a notice in writing signed by him specifying the new residence or place, (2) Every such owner who neglects to forward his licence or give such nonce shall be hable to a fine not exceeding twenty rupees. 14. Transfers and change of residence to be registered —The registering authority, on receiving the application or notice specified in section 12 A or section 13, shall make the necessary alteration in the register and the <ho licence, and return the licence; and a fee of twenty-five naye paise shall be payable along with every such application or notice. 15. Appeal. —Any person aggrieved by any order refusing regis- tration of any vehicle under section 6 or suspending a licence under section 11, may within thirty days from the date of intimation of such order, appeal to the local authority concerned and the order passed m appeal shall be final. 16. Penalty for keeping unlicensed hackney carage.~Whoever keeps any hackney carnage, which has not been duly licensed under this Act, shall be liable ta a fine not exceeding fifty rupees. 17. Numbering of hackney camage.—(1) Upon the registration of any hackney cartiage, the registering authority shall cause to be painted on some conspicuous part of the carriage or on a plate to be affixed on some conspicuous part of the carriage its number 1n the register and the number of passengers it 1s licensed to carry. (2) If the words or figwes so painted become indistinct or are obliterated during the term of the licence, the owner of the carnage shall be bound to produce it before the registering authority and appl to have such words or figures renewed. If the plate so affixed alt A have been lost or stolen, the owner of the caritage shall be bound to » apply to the registering authonty to have a new plate affixed. { (3) The fee for the painting done or the plate supplied under ! sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall be twenty-five naye paise, payable to the registering authority. 3 Vv : 18. Penalty for plymng for hire without plate or mscrpion.—If any hackney carriage stands or plies for_hire without a plate or legible inscription as prescribed by section 17, the owner thereof shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty rupees. 19. Return of plate on expiry of licence.——(1) On the expiration or ~~ other determination of the period of registration, the owner of every N hackney carriage shall cause the plate, if any, of such hackney carriage I to be delivered to the registering authority. (2) Any person who, after the expiration of the period aforesaid, | wilfully omits for fourteen days to deliver the plate, if any, to the said i authority, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty rupees. | ' 20. Penalty for using counterfeit plate.—(1) Every person who shall, : for the purpose of deception, use or have any plate or painting resem- | bling or intended to resemble any plate affixed or painting made under this Act, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to fifty rupees, | and in the case of a subsequent conviction under this section, with fine ! which may extend to one hundred rupees or with imprisonment for a od term which may extend to one month, or with both. ! | (2) Any officer of the local authority duly empowered in that 1 behalf by the registering authority or any Police officer may seize and : | take away any plate used or had as aforesaid wheresoever the same may ! : be found, and deliver the same to the registering authdrity and in the | | case of painting referred to in sub-section (1) obliterate the same. | | Cuarrer 111 X | ! i . Driver’s licence and badge 21. Grant of drwer’s licence.—(1) The registering authority may i | grant a licence to act as driver of any hackney carriage to any appli~ | . cant whom it may consider fit, provided he is not a minor. | (2) Every such licence shall contain— | (1) the number of the licence, the name, place of abode and . age of the person to whom such licence is granted. f (#1) the description of the carriage and animals, if any, to be used therewith ; and (ui) the date on which the licence was granted and the date of its expiry ; : and shall bear the signature of the registering authority. ! (3) Such licence <hall be in force for the year of registration and | the fee payable therefor shall be one rupee and fifty naye paise * Provided that no fee shall be payable for the licence for the driver of a rickshaw ; and the fee payable for the licence for driver of any hackney carriage mentioned in clause (f) of section 9, other than a 8 rickshaw, shall be twenty-five naye paise. } 22. Particulars of licence to be registered. —The particulars of every licence granted under section 21 shall be entered in a register by the registering authority and every person applying shall be furnished with | i _ N \ a certified copy of such particulars on payment of a fee of twenty-five naye paise. 23. Penalty for driving wnthout licence or lending licence.—If any per- son acts as the driver of a hackney carriage without having a licence in force for the time being or, having a licence, fails to carry it with him when driving a hackney carriage, or transfers or lends it or allows A it to be used by any other person, he shall be liable to a fine not ex- ceeding twenty rupees. 24. Suspension of licence by registering authority —The registering authority may suspend for such period as it thinks fit the licence of the driver of a hackney carriage whenever, in its opmion, such driver is unfit to be so employed. 25. Appeal.—Any person aggrieved by an order refusing grant of a licence under section 21 or suspending.a hcence under section 24 may, within thirty days from the date of intimation of such order, appeal to the local authority concerned and the oider passed in appeal shall be final. 26. Penalty for suffering unlicenced person to drive —The owner of a hackney carriage who knowingly suffers any person, not duly licenced under this Act, to act as driver of such carriage, shall be bLable to a fine not exceeding fifty rupees : Provided that such owner and such unlicenced driver shall be A subject to all the provisions of this Act for any act done or omitted to < be done by such driver during such employment in like manner as if such driver had been duly licensed. 27. Supply of badge to driver.—(1) The registering authority shall at the time of granting a licence to any driver of a hackney carriage, furnish him with a metal badge punched or marked with the number of his licence. , (2) Every driver to whom such badge is delivered shall, at all times while acting as driver, wear such badge exposed to view. (3) In case any such driver omits to wear such badge exposed to view while acting as driver he shall be liable to a fine not exceeding ten rupees. (4) Whenever the number on any badge becomes indistinct or 1s obliterated during the term of the licence, or whenever any badge is lost or stolen, the person to whom the licence relating to any such badge has been granted shall deliver such badge or notify its loss and shall produce such licence to the registering authority, and such person shall then be entitled to have a new licence and badge delivered to him upon payment of the fee specified in section 21. Such new licence shall be in force for the year of regis- Xf tration, M (5) Every person licensed under the authority of this Act who uses or wears the badge granted to him after the writing thereon has become indistinct or obliterated shall be liable to a fine not exceeding ten rupees. / - i 96 ( 28. Retwin of expired licence and badge.—(1) Upon the expiration or other determination of any licence granted to a driver under this Act he shall deliver such licence and his badge to the registering authority | (2) Every driver who neglects for three days to deliver such | expired licence and badge to the registering authority and also every person who uses or wears or fraudulently detains any such expired licence or badge and every person to whom any expired licence or Pe i badge has been delivered, who lends, gives away, pledges or sells such badge to any other person, and every person who detains, : weais or uses any licence, or badge of anv other person, shall be liable | to a fine not exceeding twenty rupees. li 29. Penally for using counterfeit badge.—Every person who, for the ! purpose of deception, uses or wears any badge resembling or intended to resemble any badge granted under the authority of this Act, shall | be punishable with fine which may extend to fifty rupees, and in the case of a subsequent conviction under this section, with fine which may | extend to one hundred rupees, or with impuisonment for a term which may extend to one month, 30. Scizue of expired or counter fer! badge.—Any officer of the local ' authority duly empoweied in that behalf by the registermg authority or i any Police officer may seize and take away any expired or counterfeit i badge, or any badge in respect of which an offence under section 28 has been committed, wheresoever the same may be found, and deliver , the same to the registering authority. IY 31. Penalty for fame lo produce l1cence before Magistrate.—Whenever = any driver 1s summoned to appear before anv Magistrate to answer any ! charge preferred against him under this Act, hc shall carry with him his licence, and produce the same if required so to do, and any driver | who, on such requisition, refuses to produce such licenee, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five rupees, 32. Convictions under Act to be endorsed on licence.—On the conviction of any driver for any offence under this Act, the Magistrate shall cause | to be endorsed on hus licence the nature of the offence, the date of the | conviction and penalty inflicted. H i 33. Cancellation or suspension of lhirence on conviction.—(1) On the conviction of any driver for any offence under this Act, the Magistrate may direct the cancellation of the licence of such driver or its suspen- | sion for such time as he thinks fir. (2) For such putpose, he may require the duiver or, any other Co person who may be in possession of the hcence or badge to deliver up the same. (3) If such driver or other person refuses or neglects to dehver y up the licence or badge, he shall be liable toa fine not exceeding ten Pa rupees. (4) The Magistrate shall forward every licence and every badge ! delivered up to him under sub-section (2) to the tegistermg authority Co together with a memorandum of his sentence in the case. . ) i fl ( — | - (5) The registering authority shall enter the fact of such sentence in the register referred to in section 22, and shall either suspend or cancel such licence according to the direction of the Magistrate ; and if 1t has been suspended, the registering authority shall, on application at the end of the period of suspension, redeliver such licence or badge to the person to whom it was granted. S| > CHAPTER IV Fares, Hiring and Plying for Hire 34. Maximum fares for use of hackney carriages.—(1) The owner or driver of every hackney carriage may demand and receive for the hire of such carriage such fares as may be fixed and published by the registering authority with the sanction of the Director, duly notified: Provided that any agreement entered into to accept a fare lower i than the fare so fixed shall be binding. (2) No owner or driver shall demand or receive over and above the said fare any sum for back fare for the return of the carriage from the place at which it was discharged. 35. Contract for higher fare invalid. —No agreement made with the driver of any hackney carriage for the payment of more than the fare published in accordance with section 34 shall be binding on the person making the same, and any person, notwithstanding such agreement, may refuse on discharging such hackney carriage to pay any sum A beyond such fare. If, in pursuance of such agreement, any person = receives any sum exceeding the fare allowed, he shall be hable to pay a fine not exceeding ten rupees and also to refund such excess, which shall be recoverable as if it were a fine. 36. Publication of authorised fares and distances.—(1) The registering authority shall cause to be prepared a list in English and in any other local language of the fares published under section 34 and shall annex to such hst a table showing the distance between the principal _places to and from which hackney carriages commonly ply. The distances so shown shall be presumed to be correct. (2) Copies of such hist and table shall be issued to all applicants on payment of a fee of twenty-five naye paise for each copy or of such other sum as the registering authority, subject to the control of the Director, may prescribe. (3) The driver of every hackney carriage standing or plying for hire shall have with him a copy of such list and table and shall on demand produce the same for the inspection of any Police Officer or of any officer of the local authority duly authorised in that behalf by the registering authority or for the information of any hirer of, or passenger by his carriage, and shall in default, be liable to a fine not exceeding ten ol rupees. (4) The registering authonty shall also cause an abstract of the fares referred to in sub-section (1) to be prepared in English and in any other local language and printed on enamelled plates and such plates shall be issued to applicants on payment of a fee of twenty-five naye paise for each plate, 3/5—7 ye - ) i 98 i | (5) Every hackney carriage shall have such a plate affixed and { as often as any portion of the printing on any such plate becomes { indistinct or obliterated, re-affixed, on a conspicuous part of the carriage : in accordance with the directions of the registering authority. i (6) If any hackney carriage stands or plies for hire without such | a plate affixed or re-affixed as required by sub-section (5), the owner A and driver thereof shall be punishable with fine not exceeding twenty > | rupees. Ea 37. The maximum distance to which the diwer 1s bound to drive.— (I (1) The driver of every hackney carriage shall be bound to drive such Pt carriage to any place named by the hirer which is not more than 3 miles | { from the place of hiring in the case of vehicles of the description speci- | i fied in clause (f) of section 9, and in the case of any other vehicle, not I ! more than six mules. Uy (2) When any hackney carriage is hired by time, the driver { thereof shall drive the same at a rate of speed not less than that pres- po! cribed by rhe registering authority. cb i (3) A driver faihng, without 1easonable excuse, to comply with ; the provisions of this section shall be lable to a fine not exceeding ten { ! rupees. | | 38. Quantity of luggage to be carred.—The driver of every hackney ! carriage shall carry in or upon such carriage without additional charge { such quanuty of luggage for every person hirmg the same as may be | prescribed by the rules under this Act. 39. Penalty for refusing to let hackney carnage for hire.—Any owner or h driver of any hackney carriage who demands more than the fare to which he 1s legally entitled, or without reasonable excuse refuses to let ! such carriage for hire, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty rupees ! and to pay such further sum by way of compensation to the party com- H planing as to the Magistrate may seem just, and such further sum shall, ! in default of immediate payment, be levied as if it weie a fine. ! 40, Penalties for various offences by driver. —Every diver of a hackney | carriage who— i (a) is drunk during his employment, ! (b) makes use of sulting or abusive language or gesture, | A (¢) stands elsewhere than at some stand or other places appoint- f i cd for the purpose of loiters for the purpose of being hired mn or upon | | any public street, road o1 place, H | (4) wilfully obstructs, or hinders, the driver of any othe: hackney | carriage 1n taking up or setting down any person into, or from such other ca'riage, (e) wrongfully prevents or endeavours to prevent the driver of any other hackney carriage from being hired: Co (f) refuses to admit and cainy in such carriage the number of a i passengers the carriage 1s licenced to carry ; I. (g) carries more than such number of passengers, ' (h) refuses to carry the quantity of luggage allowed by the i licence; H to ~~ J (i) being hired, permits or suffers any person to be carried in or upon or about such hackney carriage during such hire, without the consent of the person hiring the same; (J) drives in any hackney carriage any animal which is not so secured as to be under the control of the driver, (k) being hired by time or distance, before he has been dischar- 4 ged by the hirer, wilfully deserts from the hiring; (!) phes for hire with any carriage or animal which shall at the time be unfit for public use; (m) plies for hire with any carriage which is not fitted with any suitable warning signal, such as bell, horn or other contrivance; (n) without previously disinfecting it, knowingly uses for hire any carriage used for the conveyance of a corpse or any person suffering from any contagious or infectious disease; (0) demands advance payment of fare; : (p) refuses to obey the 1easonable directions of any person hiring his vehicle; and (¢) permuts the inside of the hackney carriage of which he 1s in charge, to become dirty, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty rupees, or to imprisonment which may extend to one month or to both. 41. Requisition to owner to furmsh address of absent driver.—(1) When A a complaint 1s made before a Magistrate against the driver of a hackney < carriage under this Act, the Magistrate may if the driver fails to appear, summon the owner to appear and to furnish the correct address of the driver, (2) If the owner after being duly summoned fails, without reasonable excuse, to appear or furnish the correct address of the driver according to the summons, he shall be hable to a fine not exceeding fifty rupees. (3) If the owner fails without reasonable excuse to appear or furni h the correct address of the driver on a subsequent summons requiring him to do so, the Magistrate may dispose of the complaint in the absence of the owner and driver or ether of them, 42, Special provision regarding rickshaws.—Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the fine in respect of any offence relating to rickshaws under this Act shall not exceed ten rupees. 43. Procedure wn case of dispute between hirer and drwer.—(1) In case of any dispute between the hirer and driver of any hackney carriage, either may require the other to proceed forthwith to the nearest Magistrates court and the then siting Magistrate shall hear and deter- x mine the dispute in a summary way. N (2) If no Magistrate be then sitting, either party may iequire the other to proceed to the nearest Police Officer who shall enter the complaint in his diary and require the parties to appear before the Magistrate at his next sitting. 3/5—7a [4 . N t ! | i I (3) On failure of either party to appear before the Magistrate i in pursuance of a requisition under sub-section (1), or sub-section (2) ! or to attend the Court at any subsequent sitting to which the case | may be adjourned, the Magistrate may decide the case ex-parte, and | his decision shall be binding on both parties. . ; . 44. Procedure in case of refusal to pay fare.—(1) If any person who Ll has hired a hackney carriage refuses to pay to the owner or diver there- Ps | of, the fare payable under this Act, the Magistrate may order payment : | of such tare, and also of reasonable compensation for loss of time, and in [a default of immediate payment, such fare and compensation may be [| recovered as a fine. HI (2) Ifany person who has used any such carriage attempts to ! evade payment of the legal fare, or any portion thereof, he shall be | hable to a fine not exceeding fifty rupees in addition to any payment ji which may have been ordered under sub-section (1). ¢ 45. Penalty for defacing or destroying plate, badge or table of fares.—(1) i Every person who wilfully tears, destroys, defaces, obliterates or removes { any plate, list of faies, table of distances, or driver’s badge, kept under H the provisions of this Act, shall be hable to a fine not exceeding twenty [a rupees. [I (2) Any portion of the fine may be awarded to the person to i ' whom such plate, list of fares, table of distances, or driver's badge [I belongs. | 46. Penalty for wilful damage to hackney carniage.—Every person . using a hackney carriage who wilfully causes any damage to the same, ( shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty rupees and shall also pay H to the owner such compensation for the damage as the Magistrate | may direct; and such compensation shall be leviable as if it were a fine. . ' 47. Hackney carriage stands.—(1) The registering authority { shall appoint a sufficient number of public stands for hackney carriages. i | (2) Every public stand so appointed shall have a board placed i in a conspicuous place on the same, containing a notice mn English and | i in any other local language stating that the stand 1s a public stand under ' ( this Act, and specifyng the number of carriages that may be stationed ( in it, { CHAPTER V . Lost Property 48. Deposit with registering authority or Police Officer of property left m hackney carriage.—(1) The owner or diver of every hackney carriage ' whetein any property 1s left by any person <hall, with eighteen hours | deposit the property with the 1egistering authority or with the Inspector or other officer on duty in the nearest police station and shall be entitled to a receipt duly signed by the officer taking charge of the same. (2) Any such owner or driver making default herein shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty rupees or to imprisonment for a period which may extend to one month or to both. | : ¥ • 2 49. The registering authority or Police Officer to register particulars of property deposited and grant recerpt.—(1) The said authority or officer shall forthwith enter, in a book to be kept for that purpose— : (a) the description of the property; (b) the name and address of the driver or other person who brings it; <4 (c) the name and address of the owner of the hackney ~ carriage in which it was left, and the registered number of the carriage, and (d) the day and hour when the property is brought and shall give to the person bringing the property a receipt for the same. (2) If the property is deposited in a police station, the officer receiving the property shall forthwith forward the same to the registe- ring authority with a copy of the entries made in the book in respect of the property. (3) The property deposited under sub-section (1) shall be delivered to the person who satisfies the registering authority that it belongs to lum, upon payment of all expenses incurred by the owner or driver together with such reasonable sum as the registering authority may award. : Provided that— . (7) if the property 1s not claimed and the ownership establi- shed within six months from the date of deposit, the registering authority may cause the property to be advertised and sold by public A auction; = (it) when the property so deposited is subject to speedy and natural decay or when the expenses of keeping it in custody 1s likély to exceed its value the registering authority may cause it to be sold at once ; and the proceeds, after deducting the expenses together with such reasonable sum as the registering authority may award to the owner or driver, may be forfeited to the Government, if within the period aforesaid the ownership 1s not established. CHAPTER VI Prosecutions 50. Exparic disposal of criminal charge. — If, in any prosecution under this Act, the person charged does not appear as directed by the summons, the Magistrate may, upon proof of personal service and if no sufficient cause be shown for the non-appearance, proceed to dispose of the case in his absence. 51. Limtation restricting criminal proceedings.—(1) No person shall be liable to prosecution for any offence under this Act unless the com- plant respecting such offence be made within one month next after the BY commussion of such offence. i} (2) For the purposes of this section, every failure or contravention punishable under this Act shall be deemed to be a continuing offence so long as the failure or contravention continues. 9d h TTS \ | , 102 | 52. Compensation for frivolous prosecution.—Where the Magistrate is | satisfied that a complamant had no reasonable ground for instituting a [ prosecution, he may direct the complainant to pay to the accused such compensation not exceeding fifty rupees as he thinks fit and the sum so awarded shall be recoverable as if it were a fine. CuAapTER VII Special provisions relating to rickshaws > 53. Power of Government to make special rules.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contammed mn the foregoing provisions of this Act or the rules ! made thereunder, the Government, may after previous publication, | make special rules for the licensing of rickshaws and rickshaw pullers. ! (2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the ! foregoing power such rules may— (a) prescribe the period for which the rickshaws, hand-pulled and cycle-driven, are to be permitted to ply ; ® prescribe the size and design of rickshaw and the conditions for grant of licence; (¢) prescribe the period after which the licence has to be renewed ; (d) prescribe the standard of physical fitness, with special | reference to age, required for rickshaw pullers and drivers ; i (¢) prescribe the rates of fees to be paid by rickshaw puller | and drivers for medical certificates ; (f) prescribe the penalties for the violation of any of the rule h by the owner of the rickshaw or by the puller or driver of the rickshaw. Cuapter VIII Rules, bye-laws and Delegation 54. Power to make rules.—(1) The Government may, after previous publication, make rules, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, { to carry out the purposes of this Act. i (2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the | foregoing power, such rules may be made with regard to— (2) the examination and qualifications of drivers and the conditions under which they may be employed ; (b) the description of horses, bullocks or other animals, i hainess and other things to be used with hackney carriages, the ! dimensions of such carriages, the condition in which such carriages and ‘ horses, bullocks or other animals, harness and other things used there- { with shall be kept, { (¢) the inspection of the premises on which any such carriages, { horses, bullocks or other animals, harness and other things are kept ; 78 ) (d) the inspection cf hackney carriages with a view to see if 7 ! such carriages are in a fit condition for public use ; | (¢) the fitting of bells, horns or other warning signals to ! carriages and for tesung the same ; i i | ' — J (f) the protection of weak, lame and sickly horses, bullocks or other animals, (g) the publication of the list of fares and table of distances and the regulation of the amount and weight of luggage to be carried with or without additional charges ; and (h) generally for carrying out the purposes of this Act. «<4 (3) Every rule madc under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may d be after it is made, before the Legislative Assembly while it is in session for a total period of fourteen days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session 1n which 1t 1s so laid, or the session immediately following, the Legislative Assembly makes any modification in the rule or decides that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be ; so however that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule. 55. Power to make bye-laws.—Every local authority may, with the previous approval of the Director, make bye-laws not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder on matters not covered by the rules. 56. Penalty for breach of bye-laws.—Whoever infringes any ruleo bye-law shall, on conviction before a Magistrate, be liable to a fine no exceeding twenty rupees. . A 57. Delegatron of registering authority’s function.—With the sanction & of the Director, the registering authority may delegate to any othe officer under 1t all or any of its functions under this Act. 58. Repeal and saving.— The Madras Hackney Carriage Act, 1911 (Act V of 1911) as in force in the Malabar district referred to in sub- section (2) of section 5 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 and the Travancore-Cochin Hackney Carriage Act, 1950 (XXXV of 1950) are hereby repealed.