Consultative process still on in respect of new MV Act: Centre

The Union Government today told the Madras High Court that the consultative process was still on in respect of enactment of new provision for enhancing penalty for drunken driving and a new Motor Vehicles Act in place of the existing Act of 1988 was contemplated in a month.
The consultative process was on and formulation of the Bill for Road Transport and Safety is expected to be over in about a month's time, towards enhancement of provisions of penalty in case of drunk-driving, it was submitted.
A statement to the above effect was made by Assistant Solicitor General Su.Srinivasan on behalf of the central government before the First Bench,comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam.

While the state government on its part submitted that it has taken steps to check drunken driving, the Centre stated a draft of the Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2014 has been uploaded for consultation with stakeholders enhancing the provision of penalty in case of drunken driving and other offences.
The Bench perused the charts submitted by the governments on accidents on account of being under influence of alcohol from 2006-2013, the number of persons killed as a consequence thereof and number of persons injured.
It said ".. Tamil Nadu emerges as No:2 insofar as number of road accidents is concerned and No:3 in so far as loss of lives is concerned, certainly something not to be proud of."

The case was then posted for further hearing to September 10.

The matter pertained to 16 questions raised by Justice N.Kirubakaran to the state and central governments with regard to introduction of total prohibition.
The First Bench had on December 12 last took suo motu as PIL an interim order of justice Kirubakaran on introduction of total prohibition and had issued notice to officials, including the Union Transport Secretary and DGP, after arraigning them as respondents.
Justice Kirubakaran had passed an interim order on a plea seeking enhancement of compensation by a family of a deceased in a road accident which occurred due to driving under the influence of alcohol.

In his order, he had raised 16 questions to the state and central governments on introduction of total prohibition, on which Tamil Nadu government filed an appeal before the First Bench.