Rejecting Rajasthan government’s demand to reduce penalties under the amended Motor Vehicles Act, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had urged the states to implement the law, reports Times of India.

According to the report, the Rajasthan government had demanded to reduce the traffic fines and penalties under the amended law at the 39th meeting of Transport Development Council in Delhi on Thursday (16 January).

"When it was brought to his notice that a two-wheeler driver was slapped with huge fines, the minister said he was aware about the case. He asked whether such persons who commit multiple offences should be allowed to go scot-free?" an official, who was present in the meeting, was quoted in the report as saying.

As per the report, Assam was the only state of those present to commit to implement the central law in totality.

The minister also warned the officials responsible for faulty engineering and road designs of strict action as road accidents have huge impact on country’s economy.

The socio-economic loss due to road accidents, according to official estimate, is pegged at 3 per cent of the GDP.

It should be noted that this was not the first time that Gadkari on state’s demand to reduce traffic fines. Earlier after some states reduced fines under the amended MV act, he had warned that local government would have to answer if there is no reduction in the fatalities in their states.