Good roads first, MV Act implementation later: Goa govt

The BJP-led Goa government will first repair all potholes-ridden roads under its "moral responsibility" before starting charging steeper fines under the amended Motor Vehicles (MV) Act from January next year, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho said here on Wednesday.

He said it was a "moral responsibility" of the state government to provide well-maintained roads to people before implementing the Centrally-amended MV Act.

On July 31, Parliament passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which increased fines for traffic offences exponentially.

"The state government intends to repair all potholes-ridden roads by December this year. It would start enforcing the amended fines from January next year," he said.

The minister also said the state government would bring down fines for certain offences.

"We would reduce the quantum of fines in certain sections where we are allowed to do so. In certain offences like drunken driving the state does not have the mandate to reduce fines but there are some sections of the Act that allow state to curtail the penalties," he said.