The bill seeking amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, giving more powers to the state governments and Union Territories in enforcing stricter traffic rules will be introduced in ensuing session of the Parliament. This was announced by T R Baalu, Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways while inaugurating the State Transport Ministers meeting here today.
Baalu said, “The amendment proposed by the government to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 have been endorsed by the parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry and the revised bill would be introduced in the ensuing session of the Parliament”.
The proposed amendment would enable enhancing the penalties for traffic offences, provide more powers to the State and Union Territories, make regional transport authorities more responsive in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities and rationalise the provisions dealing with payment of appropriate compensation to road accident victims.
The amendment includes stringent punishment for drunken driving like suspension of driving license of a drunken driver on the spot fror a period of three months, civil liabilioties like a penalty up to Rs 5000 if one drives a motor vehicles in a rash or negligent manner causing injury to a person or damage to a property.
In the meeting it was decided that as India has arrived in terms of world class road infrastructure, India needs a general speed increase for transport and other vehicles from the present 60 kilometre per hour to 70 kilometre per hour in general and 100 kilometre per hour in highways. In the meeting it was also decided that the Central government would take over the responsibility for implementation of speed governors across the country that is likely to come in to effect from the beginning of 2009.