Gadkari Refers To Odisha Case To Defend Stiff Traffic Fines

New Delhi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday defended the stiff penalties for traffic violations by referring to the case of an auto rickshaw driver in Odisha being fined Rs 47,500.

“There was this case of an auto rickshaw driver, who was accused of drunk driving, not having the vehicle papers and did not even have a licence. If an accident would have happened, who would have been responsible,” a report in Hindustan Times quoted the Road Transport and Highways Minister as saying.

Gadkari pointed to the 1.5 lakh deaths on Indian roads every year to underscore the need for a law that acts as a deterrent.

“There are 5 lakh accidents and 1.5 lakh deaths on our roads. 65 per cent of them are between the age of 18 and 35. Shouldn’t we save lives,” he told reporters in response to questions about traffic police imposing heavy fines under the new Motor Vehicles Law.

Ever since the new penalties came into force from September 1, there have been reports from different parts of the country about the traffic police imposing penalties running into tens of thousands of rupees on motorists for violations.