Amended MV Act will reduce road accidents: Rajnath Singh

Terming the amended Motor Vehicles Act as 'one of the most important steps' taken by the Narendra Modi government, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the new law will play a vital role in the reduction of road accidents.

Speaking at the Stakeholders' Meet of the 31st National Road Safety Week in New Delhi, Singh lauded Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for taking several initiatives to reduce death and injuries in road accidents.

"The enactment of Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019, is one of the most important steps taken by the Government that will play a vital role in the reduction of road accidents. It is one of the most important reforms done in recent years," tweeted Singh.

"We all need to encourage road safety in the country as it requires immediate attention from all of us. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways under the leadership of Nitin Gadkari has done a commendable job and taken several initiatives to reduce deaths and grievous injuries on Indian roads," he added.

Replacing old transportation law, the newly introduced Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019 has been brought with an aim to reduce basic transport-related hazards for the commuters. The new amendments have increased several penalties under the Act, for example, the penalty for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs has been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 and moreover, a person driving a two-wheeler without a helmet will be liable to a fine of Rs 5000.

Monday's event was also attended by Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, VK Singh and Regional Vice President of World Bank for South Asia, Hartwig Schafer.

The National Road Safety Week was inaugurated by Gadkari in Nagpur on Saturday. It is organised every year in January by the National Safety Council of India.