Power to erect traffic signs
Section 116 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 deals with power to erect traffic signs. (a) The State Government or any authority authorised in this behalf by the State Government may cause or permit traffic signs to be placed or erected in any public place for the purpose of bringing to public notice any speed limits fixed under sub-section (2) of section 112 or any prohibitions or re The Act came into force on 01 Jul 1989.
(1) (a) The State Government or any authority authorised in this behalf by the State Government may cause or permit traffic signs to be placed or erected in any public place for the purpose of bringing to public notice any speed limits fixed under sub-section (2) of section 112 or any prohibitions or restrictions imposed under section 115 or generally for the purpose of regulating motor vehicle traffic.
(b) A State Government or any authority authorised in this behalf by the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette or by the erection at suitable places of the appropriate traffic sign referred to in Part A of the Schedule, designate certain roads as main roads for the purposes of the driving regulations made by the Central Government.
1[(1A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the National Highways Authority of India constituted under the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988 (68 of 1988) or any other agency authorised by the Central Government, may cause or permit traffic signs, as provided in the First Schedule, to be placed or erected or removed on national highways for the purpose of regulating motor vehicle traffic and may order the removal of any sign or advertisement which in its opinion is so placed as to obscure any traffic sign from view or is so similar in appearance to a traffic sign as to mislead or is likely to distract the attention or concentration of the driver:
Provided that for the purposes of this sub-section, the National Highway Authority of India or any other agency authorised by the Central Government may seek assistance from the authorities of the State Government and the said State Government shall provide such assistance.]
(2) Traffic signs placed or erected under sub-section (1) for any purpose for which provision is made in the Schedule shall be of the size, colour and type and shall have the meanings set forth in the Schedule, but the State Government or any authority empowered in this behalf by the State Government may make or authorise the addition to any sign set forth in the said Schedule, of transcriptions of the words, letters or figures thereon in such script as the State Government may think fit, provided that the transcriptions shall be of similar size and colour to the words, letters or figures set forth in the Schedule.
(3) Except as provided by sub-section (1) 2[or sub-section (1A)], no traffic sign shall, after the commencement of this Act, be placed or erected on or near any road; but all traffic signs placed or erected prior to the commencement of this Act by any competent authority shall for the purpose of this Act be deemed to be traffic signs placed or erected under the provisions of sub-section (1).
(4) A State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, empower any police officer not below the rank of a Superintendent of Police to remove or cause to be removed any sign or advertisement which is so placed in his opinion as to obscure any traffic sign from view or any sign or advertisement which is in his opinion so similar in appearance to a traffic sign as to be misleading or which in his opinion is likely to distract the attention or concentration of the driver.
(5) No person shall wilfully remove, alter, deface, or in any way tamper with, any traffic signs placed or erected under this section.
(6) If any person accidentally causes such damage to a traffic sign as renders it useless for the purpose for which it is placed or erected under this section, he shall report the circumstances of the occurrence to a police officer or at a police station as soon as possible, and in any case within twenty-four hours of the occurrence.
(7) For the purpose of bringing the signs set forth in 2[the First Schedule] in conformity with any International Convention relating to motor traffic to which the Central Government is for the time being a party, the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make any addition or alteration to any such sign and on the issue of any such notification, 2[the First Schedule] shall be deemed to be amended accordingly.
Section 116, The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Act 59 of 1988).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Judgments citing this section
These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.
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… In New India Assurance Co.Ltd. v. Pazhaniammal and Others (2011(3) KHC 595), this Court held that as a general rule, production of the police charge sheet is prima facie sufficient evidence of negligence for the purpose of a claim under Section 116 of the Motor vehicles Act. In the said decision, it was also held that if any one of the parties do not accept such charge sheet, the burden must be on such party to adduce oral evidence and if oral evidence is adduced by any party in a case where charge sheet is filed, the Tribunals should give further opportunity …
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… In New India Assurance Co.Ltd. v. Pazhaniammal and Others (2011(3) KHC 595), this Court held that as a general rule, production of the police charge sheet is prima facie sufficient evidence of negligence for the purpose of a claim under Section 116 of the Motor vehicles Act. In the said decision, it was also held that if any one of the parties do not accept such charge sheet, the burden must be on such party to adduce oral evidence and if oral evidence is adduced by any party in a case where charge sheet is filed, the Tribunals should give further opportunity …
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… submits that although under Section 169 of the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, the road in question is vested in the Panchayat, still the power to regulate/restrict the use of vehicles and to erect traffic signs is vested only with the State Government or the authority authorised by the State Government, in view of Sections 115 and 116 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. It is therefore contended that the prohibition imposed by the Panchayat is illegal and calls for interference. 4. The respondent Panchayat has filed a counter affidavit. The justification for the prohibition imposed is contained in paragraph 3 of the counter affidavit, which reads …
Questions about Section 116
What does Section 116 of the Motor Vehicles Act deal with?
Section 116 of the Motor Vehicles Act is headed "Power to erect traffic signs". (a) The State Government or any authority authorised in this behalf by the State Government may cause or permit traffic signs to be placed or erected in any public place for the purpose of bringing to public notice any speed limits fixed under sub-section (2) of section 112 or any prohibitions or re
How do I find court cases under Section 116 of the Motor Vehicles Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: MV Act 116, section 116 MV Act, section 116 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.
What should I read with Section 116 of the Motor Vehicles Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 112 (Limits of speed), section 115 (Power to restrict the use of vehicles), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 3 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it.
When did Section 116 of the Motor Vehicles Act come into force?
Section 116 of the Motor Vehicles Act, cited as MV Act 116, came into force on 01 Jul 1989, having been enacted on 14 Oct 1988. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 2. Definitions1948 words
- 88. Validation of permits for use outside region in which granted1560 words
- 51. Special provisions regarding motor vehicle subject to hire-purchase agreement, etc1199 words
- 150. Duty of insurers to satisfy judgments and awards against persons insured in respect of third party risks1102 words
- 96. Power of State Government to make rules for the purposes of this Chapter995 words
- 72. Grant of stage carriage permits868 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 18 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.