Deaths due to road accidents to come down amid heavy penalties for traffic violation: Nitin Gadkari

NEW DELHI: The amended Motor Vehicles Act has seen opposition only from a couple of states on implementation of penalties, and the Centre is certain of bringing down the rate of deaths due to road accidents in the country through these penalties, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has said.

The new Act which came into effect from September 1st this year has sent penalties for traffic offences sky-rocketing. Gadkari said that while there has been some opposition to the Act only on clauses related to penalties, people are becoming cautious about their behaviour on road.

“We have received cooperation from the common people, across the party line, people have supported it. Across the country, misinformation is being spread that states are opposing the Act,” Gadkari told reporters on the sidelines of an event here on Tuesday.


Gadkari said that only a couple of states have their reservation about the strict penalties, and State governments have all their right to make variation, but within the range of penalty specified for a particular offence.

“These hefty fines have been levied because people neither respect nor fear the law,” Gadkari said. “It is already in the law that , states already have the right to make variations in the fines,” he added.

Gadkari said that he has reached out to Chief Ministers, and is expecting cooperation from State governments on the new Act.

“Majority of states have agreed to comply. I have spoken with Chief Ministers, and Secretary (Ministry of road transport and highways ) has spoken with Chief Secretaries. Amid this cooperation, I am certain that we will achieve the goal of reducing deaths due to road accidents which was the prime reason behind amendment of the Motor Vehicles Act,” Gadkari said.