With about 130,000 deaths being reported in road accidents in the country last year, the government will have a re-look into the Motor Vehicles Act and plan vehicle fitness testing units to strengthen safety measures.
Ensuring proper facilities for those learning to drive, providing good roads and changing the prevailing attitude of "not caring" for other vehicles or pedestrians can help in improving road safety, Brahm Dutt, Secretary in Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, said here today.
"Strict enforcement of Motor Vehicles Act, especially in regard to issuing driving licence, is important. We are also having a re-look at the whole Act, for which a committee has been set up," he said while inaugurating a two-day conference here on 'Accident Prevention and Road Safety Measures'.
"We are planning to introduce fitness testing centres, so that RTOs do not give fitness certificates merely by visual inspection. A thorough check-up should be done before granting the certificate," he said, adding a proposal for a road safety management board is also there.
Nirmal Jit Singh, Special Secretary in the ministry, noted that road fatalities are rising at a rate of 5 per cent per year, with one death being reported every 4.5 minute.
K K Kapila, the vice-chairman of International Road Federation which organised the meet, said the IRF along with the ministry has launched a national campaign on reduction of road fatalities on September 23 this year. The IRF proposes to publish road safety messages in 100 newspapers across India everyday and show films on the matter in cinema halls.
