West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today said that the hefty fines under the newly amended Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019, won’t apply to the state.
Explaining her stand, Banerjee said that already a similar road safety program is on in the state under the name of “Safe Drive Save Life”, which is a state initiative. Banerjee has maintained that the new fine structure under the amended act is too harsh and that it goes against the interests of common people. She has also said that the issue needs to be addressed from a “humanitarian point of view”.
West Bengal thus becomes the third state in country to refute the newly imposed fine structure of MV Amendment Act after Gujarat and Rajasthan. Gujarat, a state ruled by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has cut down on the steep penalties on Tuesday.
Rajasthan transport minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas has also said that a state can review any law passed by the Centre, although not doing away with it completely. Rajasthan thus plans to reduce the amount of fines to be paid in some cases.
The MV Amendment Act came into effect from September 1 this year.
