NEW DELHI, Oct 28: The Road Transport Ministry will move the new Bill governing the road sector to the Cabinet soon and hopes to get it passed in the winter session of Parliament.
“I am trying my best to present the Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2014, in the next session of Parliament to get its approval. Very shortly it will be sent for Cabinet and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approval,” Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.
It has been our endeavour to bring down road accidents by 50 per cent in the next two years as India accounts for the highest road accidents and related deaths, Gadkari said on the sidelines of the National Road Safety and Transport Development Councils meeting here.
As high as five lakh road accidents happen in India annually with 1.5 lakh deaths, he said, adding about 4.5 lakh victims of road accidents happen to be in the age group of 15 to 45 years.
Seeking to come down heavily on traffic offenders, government has proposed steep penalties of up to Rs 3 lakh along with a minimum 7-year imprisonment for death of a child in certain circumstances, besides huge fines for violations.
The new Road Safety and Transport Bill 2014 also proposes a fine of Rs 5 lakh per vehicle as well as imprisonment for faulty manufacturing design, besides cancellation of licences for rash and negligent driving.
The Bill, in which states opinions are sought proposes penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh or imprisonment for six months which may extend to one year or both in case of using vehicle in unsafe conditions and state governments suggestions will be incorporated in it.
Gadkari said a multi-mode public transport system was on the anvil incorporating best practices of the advanced nations while at the same time the government was focusing on strengthening road infrastructure.
“Highways building work worth Rs 5 lakh crore is on the anvil under te public-private-partnership mode for four-laning of the NHs,” he said.
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has encouraged FDI in infrastructure space.
The government was promoting ethanol-friendly buses to cut on huge Rs 6 lakh crore import bills on crude in the country besides taking steps to introduce electricity-operated buses, he said.
“We will request the Finance Minister to give concessions to environment-friendly technologies,” he said, adding that even if Rs 3 lakh crore is saved out of Rs 6 lakh crore import bills, it will strengthen the economy.
To provide basic amenities to commuters of public
transport, the government is planning to bring a proposal in the Cabinet to ensure up to Rs 3,000 crore annually for providing help to states in setting up Bus Ports, Gadkari said.
Also e-governance will be encouraged under the new Act, he said. After “introduction of a transparent permit system for trucks,” the annual revenue has shot up to Rs 1100 crore from Rs 700 crore and steps were underway to transfer the amount immediately to states, the minister said.
There will be unified driving licence system as well as vehicle registration system to check malpractices and corruption, he said.
There will be “four per cent GDP improvement on account of increased efficiency and safety of road transport”, he said.
Gadkari said his department would launch a National Waterways Scheme on the pattern of National Highways Authority to govern the waterways as transportation through this mode was much cheaper.
On E-rickshaw he said, the plying of the battery-operated vehicle will bring an end to the system of inhuman practice of human carts.
Transport Ministers and Commissioners of various states besides other officials were present during the meeting.
The ministry has sought comments from public and stakeholders on the Bill and will thereafter finalise it for presentation to Parliament during the ensuing winter session.
The “Vision” of the Bill also states that 10 lakh jobs will be created by increased investments in the sector.
As per the draft Bill, there will be an independent agency – ‘Motor Vehicle Regulation and Road Safety Authority of India’.
Motor vehicles are to be regulated through improved designs and simplified single-window automated driving licence systems including unified biometric systems to avoid licence duplication.
Other features include unified vehicle registration system, single National Road Transport & Multinational Coordination Authority and Goods Transport and National Freight Policy.
It encompasses provisions for safety of vehicles including implementation of safety equipment of motor vehicles.
It also includes technologies such as intelligent speed adaptation, driver alert control, eye drowsiness detectors, distance closure rate detection and green box monitoring.
The Bill has been drafted in sync with the best practises of six advanced nations – US, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Germany and the UK. (PTI)
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