Delhi mandates wearing of mask when travelling in car, a fine of Rs 2000 will be imposed

Delhi government has made it compulsory to wear masks in cars even while travelling alone.

Image used for representational purpose

New Delhi: In view of the rising coronavirus cases in the national capital, the Delhi government has mandated wearing of masks in cars as compulsory while travelling in personal or official vehicles even when alone. 

On November 18, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government told the Delhi High Court that a personal vehicle on a public road cannot be said to be a private zone — rather, it is a public space. 

Read: Fine of Rs 2000 for not wearing mask at public place, announces AAP govt 

The reply was in response to a lawyer’s plea who had challenged the imposition of a fine of Rs 500 for not wearing a mask when he was travelling in his vehicle, alone. The petitioner sought a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the alleged mental harassment. 

The Delhi government cited the Supreme Court's July 2019 ruling in a criminal case pertaining to drunken driving had held that a car or any other private passenger vehicle “shall be deemed to be a public place in view of the fact that when a private vehicle is passing through a public road, it cannot be accepted that the public have no access to it. It is true that the public may not have access to such a private vehicle as a matter of right but the public have the opportunity to approach the private vehicle while it is on the public road.”

This was the argument submitted by the Delhi government to defend the decision of making it compulsory for people to wear masks when they are travelling in their personal or official vehicles, alone or otherwise.

As the number of COVID-19 cases in the national capital has seen a sharp rise, the Chief Minister on Thursday (November 19) announced that a fine of Rs 2000 will be imposed on anyone who is found not wearing a mask at a public place. Earlier this 'offence' invited a fine of Rs 500.

Meanwhile, on Saturday as many as 6608 new cases of coronavirus and 118 fatalities were registered in Delhi. The total tally of COVID-19 cases is at 5,17,238 which includes 4,68,143 cured cases and 8,159 fatalities.