The Road Safety and Management Board Bill may not be introduced in the winter session of the Parliament, as the necessary amendments suggested by the Standing Committee on Transport are yet to be incorporated.
Road Safety and Management Board Bill, which aims to facilitate setting up an independent body to put in place safety provisions for National Highways (NH) and improved safety standards in road designs was introduced in Lok Sabha in May and was withdrawn on the recommendations of the Parliamentary panel.
The panel said that the proposed board is limited to safety concerns on the National Highways. NH constitutes only two per cent of the country's total road network, and nearly 70 per cent accidents occur on other roads.
Certain amendments were suggested by the panel, including a separate Board at the Centre as well as at the state level.
"In order to have an expert institution in the matter of road safety and traffic management, to have an independent implementing agency to oversee road safety activities, the proposed National Road Safety and Traffic Management Board is the ideal solution," the Standing Committee on Transport said.
After this the Road Safety Cell of the Ministry will no longer exist and all the functions would be carried out by the Board, it said, adding that the Road Transport Division of the Ministry will be downsized and one of the units will submerge within the Board.
Road Ministry is considering the recommendations of the Standing Committee and would introduce it in the Parliament after necessary amendments are made, a road ministry official said.
Winter session of the Parliament is likely to begin in the second week of November, he added.
