A Bill seeking to bring radical changes in the transport sector by amending the nearly 30-year-old Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, would be sent to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said after an all-party meeting here on Friday.
Rajya Sabha MPs were briefed by Mr. Gadkari on the salient features of the Bill, which, the Minister added, would save “people from corruption” during registration of new vehicles. At many places, people are charged ₹2,000 to get their vehicles registered, Mr. Gadkari said.
Against privatisation
Addressing concerns that the proposed legislation impinges on the rights of State governments, Mr. Gadkari said the Centre did not want to privatise State transport authorities, and that it was up to the States to accept the Bill’s provisions.
“In the meeting of the leaders of all parties of Rajya Sabha today, chaired by Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien, many of the parties sought more time to study the Motor Vehicles Bill, 2017, in view of very few days left in the current session. It was decided to send the Bill to the Rajya Sabha Select Committee,” Mr. Gadkari said.
It had been agreed that the Select Committee, which will be constituted soon, would submit its report on the first day of the Winter Session and passed in that session, the Minister added.
The Bill, which Mr. Gadkari termed “one of the biggest reforms in the sector”, aims to bring radical reforms in the transport sector.
