State Transport Minister Divakar Raote on Wednesday wrote to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari requesting him to reconsider and reduce the fines prescribed under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019. The State has decided to put the implementation on hold.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Raote said the new fines are ‘exorbitant’, and have raised a public ‘outcry.’ “We have requested the Central government to reduce the fines by reconsidering the decision.”
Neighbouring Gujarat has already issued a notification reducing the fines of certain offences. When asked whether Maharashtra will be reducing the fines, Mr. Raote said that will be the Centre’s call.
Meanwhile, the implementation of the Amended Act is on hold. “We have not yet issued a notification and are waiting to hear from the Centre,” he said.
Mr. Gadkari, while addressing a press conference in Mumbai had supported his department’s decision to increase the fines. “If you do not break the law, you won’t be fined. The old fines were 30 years old. People were not afraid of it, neither did they have respect for the law. This has been done to save people’s lives. Maharashtra CM has assured me that this will be implemented in the State,” he had said.
