Gujarat Govt Would Not Levy Fine For Traffic Violations During Diwali, Announcement Triggers Mixed Reactions

Motorists in Gujarat are in for good news this Diwali, as they will not have to bear the brunt of fines for traffic rule violations. Ahead of the festivities, Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, announced that the state would not be levying any fines for violations from October 21 to 27.

Calling it a pro-people initiative, the state has taken a step toward educating and motivating motorists to abide by the rules rather than punishing them into obeying them. The decision received mixed reactions, with some of the motorists welcoming the decision and the rest labeling the move as an "election gimmick" that would put the life of motorists at risk.

Building On Ideas Of Responsible Driving

The announcement made during an event was posted on Sanghavi's official Twitter handle and brought in several discussions surrounding the matter. In the post, Sanghavi can be seen praising the initiative as "one more pro-people decision" by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

ભારતીય સંસ્કૃતિનો સૌથી મોટો ઉજાસ ઉત્સવ એટલે દિવાળી. રંગોળીઓના રંગ, મિષ્ટાનોની ભરમાર અને દીવા તેમજ ફટાકડાનો ઉમંગ લઈને આ તહેવાર આવે છે. આ તહેવાર નિમિત્તે મૃદુ અને મક્કમ ગુજરાત સરકારના મુખ્ય મંત્રી શ્રી @Bhupendrapbjp જી નો વધુ એક પ્રજાલક્ષી નિર્ણય pic.twitter.com/V1omwopeWV

— Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) October 21, 2022

While providing this freedom to the motorists of the state, he also makes it a point to request them, saying, "Don't use the decision to break the law". If someone is found violating the rules during this period, the Gujarat Police would give them flowers and build awareness of the need to follow traffic rules to maintain road safety.

Earlier, similar initiatives were undertaken by the traffic police in Udaipur and Indore, where motorists were given flowers instead of fines.

According to an article by the Times Of India, the Udaipur police gave flowers and chocolates to traffic violators to create awareness in the politest manner. The Assistant commissioner of police in Udaipur was quoted saying that traffic rules are more about the safety of an individual, and this message had to be taken to the people in an informative manner.

Mixed Reactions

Twitter users were quick to pour in praises for the new initiative. Many were of the opinion that such initiatives would encourage people to follow the rules voluntarily and build a shared responsibility between the state and the people. A user by the name Anish Desai commented, "Gujarat sets an example of what public welfare means. They set an example of the "Pro-people Government."

However, the move has not been devoid of criticism and saw many users and prominent people calling it out as an election gimmick. With the announcement coming ahead of the elections due by the end of the year, Gujarat Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Jignesh Mevani responded, "Elections can make you do many things!"

According to a report by NDTV, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Singh Chaudhary also stated his view and said that the BJP-led state government was endangering the lives of motorists for votes.

This was backed by multiple other users, who commented that the traffic conditions in the cities would get worse with the lifting of fines. A few users tried drawing attention to the already questionable nature of traffic regulations in the state and said that "with no one fearing the law, the accident rates are prone to increase" and put the lives of many at stake.

Also Read: Bangalore Cop Gets Booked By Another Cop For Wearing Half-Helmet, Netizens Point Out 7 Other Violations