New Delhi: Intelligent traffic system does not discriminate between violators of law whether it is a central minister, Chief Minister, bureaucrat or a journalist, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said Sunday. He also asserted that hefty fines for traffic rule violations are aimed at curbing road accidents. Nitin Gadkari also said that there should be no fear of hefty ‘challans’ if someone is abiding by the law.
Post imposition of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, from September 1, hefty challans for traffic rules violations by the police have hit the headlines.
“Why is this fear of challans if one is following traffic rules? People should rather be happy that India’s roads will become safer like abroad where people strictly abide by traffic norms. Is human life not precious,” Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told this agency in an interview.
Gadkari said stringent rules were ‘much needed’ as people had taken traffic laws very lightly and there was neither fear nor respect for law.
“I am sensitive to this issue. Ask the family members who have lost someone near and dear in road accidents. Sixty five per cent of the road accidents victims are in the age bracket of 18 to 35 years. Ask their families how they feel. I too am an accident victim and it is a well-thought-of step with consent from almost all political parties whether Congress, Trinamool or TRS,” informed Nitin Gadkari.
Gadkari pointed out that there are people who have not even been once fined as they follow traffic norms asking why others cannot emulate them.
“Intelligent traffic system does not discriminate. If you violate the law, you will have to pay penalty whether you are central minister, Chief Minister, bureaucrat or a journalist. There have been instances in my knowledge where CMs and others have been slapped with challans,” Gadkari pointed out.
The Union Minister also appealed to the people to use digital platforms like ‘DigiLocker’ or ‘mParivahan’ to carry driving licence, registration certificate or other documents in ‘electronic form’ which are valid under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and present them to traffic police if asked.
India accounts for five lakh road accidents annually, one of the highest in the globe in which 1.5 lakh people die and another three lakh are crippled. The minister said the loss to the GDP was two per cent due to loss of lives in road accidents
Asked about poor infrastructure in some parts, Gadkari said the new Act has provisions of fine on contractors in case of potholes and penalty was higher in case of offences committed by implementing authorities.
PTI