Maharashtra Govt requests Central Govt to reconsider and reduce fines in the new MV Amendment Act

Maharashtra's Transport minister Diwakar Raote had requested the Central Government to reconsider the amendments and reduce the fines in the new Act. Minister Diwakar Raote had written a letter to Nitin Gadkari requesting him to reduce the fines in the new amendment act. Raote in the letter to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had written, "The government of India has amended the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 vide the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 and some sections of the 2019 act have come into force from 1st September 2019. The said amendments are commendable in view of road safety. However, it is seen that the fines prescribed in the new act have been increased exorbitantly and have raised a public outcry. The central government is requested to reconsider and reduce the same by making suitable amendments in the Central Motor Vehicles Act."

It was learnt that the Maharashtra Government was already reviewing the new amendment Act with the state law and judiciary department for opinions on whether fines can be reduced or not.

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari had already clarified his action stating that the steep penalties under the amended Act were not meant to collect fines but to ensure that people do not violate the law. Under the new law, which came into force from September 1st, 2019, people were fined almost five times higher than the previous fines such as Rs10,000 (earlier Rs 2,000) for drunk driving, and Rs 5,000 (earlier Rs 1,000) for dangerous driving and so on.