Contrary to general perception, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has revealed that his vehicle, too, was fined twice on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai. This revelation came during the Rising Bharat Summit 2025, organised by the News18 news channel.
“I built the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. I have a car in Mumbai, and I received a challan for it twice. Nobody can escape. The camera catches everything. I had to pay ₹500,” said Gadkari. “People often complain about fines, but they should simply follow the rules. Fines are not meant for revenue generation,” he added.
📍𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒉𝒊 | Addressing News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2025 https://t.co/19PTtXjPsQ
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) April 8, 2025
During the interaction, Gadkari hinted at upcoming toll tax reforms that may benefit lakhs of motorists. Responding to a question about the possibility of roads becoming toll-free, he said, “A policy that will provide relief to tollpayers is in the works. It will be announced in 8-10 days. The toll amount will be reduced by 100%. That’s all I can reveal at the moment.”
Gadkari acknowledged that the ministry’s target of halving road accidents has not yet been achieved. He attributed this to both road and automobile engineering, noting that while vehicle manufacturing standards are strong, there are shortcomings in road infrastructure. To address this, the government has allocated ₹40,000 crore to rectify accident-prone “black spots.” Additionally, under the Raahveer scheme, a reward of ₹25,000 will be given to those who assist accident victims, and efforts are underway to cover medical expenses for the injured—a proposal that has been submitted to the Prime Minister.
Gadkari emphasised that reckless road behavior is a major concern. To prevent dangerous median crossings, the government plans to increase median heights to 3.25 feet and plant trees as additional deterrents. Foot overbridges will also be redesigned to accommodate not just pedestrians but also two-wheeler riders and cyclists, with separate provisions for divyangjan (differently-abled individuals).
