Decision on implementing amended Motor Vehicles Act soon: Maharashtra minister

Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab on Monday said a decision on implementing the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 would be taken in a few days.

Speaking to reporters, Parab said he would be in Delhi on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of the Act, which lays down higher fines, stricter provisions for a wide range of offences like juvenile and driving, helmet violations etc.

"To discuss the implementation of this Act, I am going to Delhi. In the coming days, some concrete decision on its implementation will be taken," he said.

The state government had refused to implement the Act after it was passed in the middle of 2019 by Parliament claiming some of the fines were unreasonable, but Parab refused to elaborate on what some of the other apprehensions were of Maharashtra on the legislation.

In another major development, Parab said the state government was mulling to stop issuing taxi and autorickshaw permits and a study on this was underway.

The minister informed that ₹421 crore had been collected as part of the Road Safety Fund, and 76 interceptor vehicles fitted with speed guns and other gadgets to stop on- road violations have been sought by the state government.

The Road Safety Fund is being replenished with taxes imposed on newly-registered vehicles.

Parab reiterated that the transport department had not given permission to two-wheeler taxis in the state and action had been taken against such ventures in Mumbai.