Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari defended the heavy penalties for traffic violations. He said that the government is not interested in heavy fines, but everyone must follow traffic rules. Gadkari had pushed for overhauling the motor vehicles law for five years. The amended Motor Vehicles Act has come into force from September 1. The last few days have seen a spate of heavy penalties imposed for traffic violations. While an auto-rickshaw driver from Odisha was fined Rs 47,500, police issued a challan of Rs 16,000 to a scooty driver in In Haryana's Kaithal.
