Recently, Parliament passed the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill 2019 which amends the provision under the Motor Vehicle Act of 1988. Earlier, the government failed to take effective steps. Now, it has decided to crack down on traffic offenses right now.
The purpose of this bill is to bring with it stricter penalties for road traffic violations. The amendments are focused on improving road safety, facilitating citizens in dealings with traffic departments, and empowering rural transport.
Moreover, it also enhances public transport and last-mile connectivity through automation, computerization as well as online services. The bill is based on recommendations submitted by the transport ministers of 18 states in India.
Here, there is a column that lists the violation, the present fine amount, and the previous fine amount for two-wheelers:
The above rules will raise penalties for traffic violations, curb RTO corruption, and other measures to bring tremendous transformation in the transport sector.
Some other Rules:
The new road safety bill has outlined punishments and penalties for all sorts of traffic violations. It includes punishments for traffic-related offenses and higher penalties like compensation of Rs 5 lakh for death and Rs 2.5 lakh for grievous injuries in motor vehicle accidents.
It will make Aadhaar mandatory for getting a driving license and vehicle registration and also mandates automated fitness testing for vehicles.
The bill will advise the central and state governments on all aspects of road safety and traffic management like standards of motor vehicles, registration and licensing of vehicles, standards of road safety, and promotion of new vehicle technology.
Besides, the bill also provides for a scheme for cashless treatment of road accident victims during golden hours.
Earlier, driving licenses in India was valid for 20 years or until the person turns 50 years old. Now, driving licenses will be valid for only 10 years for those who are 30-50 years old. If someone gets a license in 50-55, it will be valid till 60. If you renew your license after age 55, it will be valid for only 5 years.
In the last few years, transport and highways have struggled to reduce the number of road accidents. But, sadly, India is on top of the number of deaths due to road accidents.
Data says that road accidents in India killed between 1.46lakh and 1.5lak people every year during 2015-2017. Among the vehicle categories involved in road accidents, two-wheelers accounted for the highest share of total accidents and fatalities in 2017.
Light vehicles comprising cars, jeeps, and taxis as a category constituted 24.5% of total accidents and 21.1% of total fatalities. This bill will play an effective role in controlling these accidents and make India's roads a safer place.
