Fact Check: No, Gujarat is not only state to reduce fines under amended Motor Vehicles Act

Since the amended Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) was introduced on September 1, social media has been filled with posts for and against hefty fines imposed for traffic violations.

While opponents have pointed out that the revised penalties will burden the ordinary citizen, others have demanded better roads before implementing the fines. Yet others have shared videos of police highhandedness in issuing challans.

Amid this, a viral post on social media has claimed that Gujarat is the only state to reduce fines under the amended Motor Vehicles Act.

THE CLAIM

User Sadab Khan shared a post on Facebook page Congress Ek Vichardhara in Hindi, which when translated means, Modi, Amit Shah has reduced fines under the new traffic Act by 90 per cent in Gujarat. This means that the whole country is foolish except Gujarat.

This post has been shared almost 500 times till the filing of this story. The archived version of the post can be seen here.

THE TRUTH

India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that Gujarat is not the only state to have slashed fines while implementing the amended MVA. Uttarakhand has also done it, while Karnataka is actively considering the same.

In Uttarakhand, if one is found talking on the phone while driving, then a fine of Rs 1,000 is imposed, while under the amended MVA, it is Rs 5,000. Similarly other fines have also been reduced in Uttarakhand, details of which can be read in the Economic Times report.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has also spoken about reducing the hefty fines and news about this can be read in this Times Now report.

AFWA found that under the amended MVA, every state can set its own penalty amount. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had himself said so while elaborating that the reason for hefty fines was not revenue collection but making roads safer.

Some states such as Jharkhand, Goa, and Odisha have sought time for implementing the amended MVA so that awareness campaigns could be carried out for commuters and roads could also be repaired in the meantime.

On the other hand, a few states such as West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana have refused to implement the amended MVA. In these states, vehicle users are paying the old fines on traffic violation. Jagran and Financial Express have details of the status of implementation of the amended MVA.

Therefore, it is incorrect to say that Gujarat is the only state to reduce fines under the amended MVA.