'No one can escape cameras': Nitin Gadkari admits to being fined twice for traffic violations in Mumbai

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at Rising Bharat Summit

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that he himself has been fined twice for traffic rule violation in Mumbai.

Speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit, Gadkari said, "Now there are cameras and scanners everywhere, so no one can escape. You will be surprised... I have a car in Mumbai, I got the opportunity to build the Worli-Bandra Sea Link project. I myself was fined twice and received notices. No one can save you. The camera catches. They were of Rs 500 each..."

In response to a query on the stiff traffic challans, Gadkari said: "The fine are not aimed at revenue generation, they are there are because we are committed towards the law. People say fines have increased... don't violate the rules then."

The government amended the Motor Vehicle Act in 2019 with provisions of high fines and penalties expecting this would prove as a deterrent. But these measures proved inadequate with violation of traffic and transport rules rising and the number of road crash fatalities actually increasing by around 6% from nearly 1.59 lakh in 2019 to 1.68 lakh in 2022.

Last year, Gadkari said that law enforcement agencies plan to use artificial intelligence and other technologies to monitor traffic violations and impose penalties. He noted that road safety cannot be achieved without integrating advanced engineering solutions, enforcement of laws and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like AI.