Cabinet may take up Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill in February

Government is considering changes in the Motor Vehicles Act to bring in global best practices in areas like road safety.
"The Cabinet note on Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill has been circulated and is likely to be taken up in February," Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.
The minister said that he received suggestions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Road Ministry's proposal seeking amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988.
"We made presentation to the Prime Minister and he has given us some suggestions on the matter. Cabinet Secretary has also given his suggestions, we will again go to the Cabinet and then it will be converted into a bill which will be introduced in the next Parliament session," he said.

However, the minister did not divulge suggestions made by the Prime Minister.
The minister had earlier said that his ministry had done much work on the new Bill that would overhaul the current obsolete law and usher in such a system which would make country's roads much safer with strict adherence to safety norms.

The Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, being prepared, will be in sync with practices in six advanced nations - US, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Also, the government in the winter session of Parliament had introduced a Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill to regularise battery-driven rickshaws.

However, the Bill could not get through Parliament and the Cabinet last week approved promulgation of an Ordinance to pave the way for plying of e-rickshaws on roads of National Capital Region.
On the clause of e-rickshaws in the proposal, Gadkari said, "It is not an autorickshaw or a four-wheeler, it should only be compared with the cycle rickshaw.
"Pulling cycle rickshaw is an inhuman practise and we should put an end to it and we have also kept the safety aspects in mind before allowing plying of e-rickshaws on city roads."
E-rickshaws or battery-operated three-wheeler vehicles had gone off roads after Delhi High Court banned their plying in July on safety concerns.

The new law will provide a corruption free and transparent system with a proper record of driving licences. Data would be utilised in e-governance.