Gadkari declines Rajasthan’s appeal to cut penalties for traffic violations, urges all states to enforce new MV Act

NEW DELHI: Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday urged states to implement the amended Motor Vehicles Act while giving a cold shoulder to demand from Rajasthan to reduce penalties. The minister said only those who violate rules face the risk of paying hefty fines and the improved law is not against law abiding commuters.
Gadkari was responding to a demand from Rajasthan government to reduce traffic fines and penalties under the amended law, which came up at the 39th meeting of Transport Development Council in the national capital.“When it was brought to his notice how one two-wheeler driver was slapped with huge fines, the minister said he was aware about the case. He asked whether such persons who commit multiple offences be allowed to go scot free?” said an official, who was present in the meeting.
Sources said Assam was the only state of those present to commit to implement the central law in totality. They added that transport ministers of other states did not make any comment on the issue.
The minister also warned officials responsible for faulty engineering and road designs of stringent action as road accidents have huge impact on country’s economy. According to an official estimate, the socio-economic loss due to road accidents is pegged at 3% of the GDP of the country.
This is not the first time when Gadkari has taken such a stand. Soon after some of the states had reduced the fines, he had said the local governments would have to answer if fatalities don’t decline in their states.
The transport development council took up issues including harmonisation of road tax across states, guidelines for setting up, authorisation and operation of vehicle scrapping facility and the need to have tourist bus permit system, on the lines of National Permit for trucks, for their seamless movement across the country.