Punjab in process of implementing amended motor vehicle act in state: Razia Sultana

Chandigarh, September 5, 2019: Putting all the speculations to rest Razia Sultana, Transport Minister, Punjab today made it clear that for the time being the provisions of the amended Motor Vehicle would not be applicable in the state and until any decision was taken on the implementation of amended Motor Vehicle Act, the old fines would be taken from traffic violators in the state.
Disclosing this in a press communiqué released here today the Transport Minister said that ‘Transport’ being the state subject the Punjab Government will exercise its discretion in implementing some of the provisions of the amended Motor Vehicle Act through which the quantum of fine for traffic related violations has been raised many fold. She said that Captain Amarinder Singh led Congress Government in the state was very serious in implementing the stricter traffic discipline among the traffic commuters. She said that the Government is also sensitive to the fact that every day number of innocent citizen dies in road accidents. She said that at Congress Government after coming to power in the state has taken number of initiatives to curb traffic rules violation. She cited that recently the transport department has decided to equip the traffic police with E-Challan Machines for on spot challan of the traffic rule violators. Likewise decision to establish Road Safety Secretariat has been taken which will keep eagle’s eye on vehicular traffic all across the state and it will be responsible for ensuring compliance of Road Safety Norms.
Razia Sultana said ‘ there is no denying the fact that traffic rule violation is the major cause of road accidents which claims innocents lives every day and commuters must be hammered down to comply to the traffic rules, but at the same time citizen must not be reel under the burden of huge penalties.’ She said that in a welfare state like India the idea for such kind of penalties was to deter people from violating the traffic rules, not to increase the state treasury. She said that the state government will soon take a call on this issue.