Face of Nation : Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said the purpose behind hiking penalties for traffic offences was to save lives, and even Sonia Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal supported the move.
Defending the amended Motor Vehicles (MV) Act at India Today Conclave here, Gadkari recalled his own traumatic experience of a road accident. “High penalties under the Act are not means for revenue generation. They are meant to save lives,” he said during an interactive session.
“Five lakh accidents take place (in the country) every year, in which about 1.5 lakh people die, nearly three lakh become disabled. 65 per cent of victims are in the age group of 18 to 35 years,” he said.
When asked by the interlocutor about opposition to hiked fines by even BJP-ruled states such as Gujarat, he said, “Why don’t you also mention that (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi and (Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader) Arvind Kejriwal have supported the Act.”
Recalling a personal experience, Gadkari said when he was leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, he and his family members were injured in a road accident, and he was hospitalised for a year.
