Motor Vehicle 'Act' to bring down number of road accidents: Gadkari

With the Union Cabinet approving for Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016, Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has expressed confidence that the Act will bring down the number of road accidents.

"For the first time after independence, a big reform has been introduced into the Transport Sector, and the biggest advantage is that it will bring down the number of road accidents, Gadkari told ANI.

As every year 5 lakh road accidents are reported in the country, in which 1.5 lakh people lose their lives, thus, the Act is expected to reduce the accidents and fatalities by 50 percent in five years.

"There was no respect or fear of the law, the Act will see increasing respect for the road safety laws and decrease in road accidents, which will save many lives," said the minister.

"The second important thing," he said, "around transport ministers of 18 states ruled by various political parties have supported the Act because the subject was in the concurrent list. Thus unanimity is its speciality."

Gadkari further said, "The Act will bring transparency and e-governance in vehicle registration and driving licence issuance."

"I feel that the Act has provided a new reform to the Road Sector and the way transport ministers of the 18 states have given their unanimous report, I believe it will help us steer the Bill through Parliament with the help of all parties," the minister added.

With an aim to address the issue of road safety, a draft Road Transport and Safety Bill was prepared soon after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government came to power, however, most of the states had expressed their reservations to it.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has constituted a Group of Transport Ministers (GoM) of the states to address the issue of road safety and to improve the facilitation of the citizens while dealing with transport departments.

The GoM headed by Rajasthan Transport Minister Yoonus Khan held three meetings, in which a total of 18 transport ministers from different political parties participated and submitted three interim reports.

The GoM recommended that to address the pressing issue of road safety and improving transport scenario, Government should immediately bring amendments to the present Motor Vehicle Act.

On the basis of recommendations of the GoM and other pressing requirements, MoRTH introduced the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016 for consideration of the Cabinet.