The Government has proposed stiff penalties for traffic offences ranging from Rs. 25,000 for drunken driving to a fine of Rs. three lakh and minimum seven-year jail term for causing the death of a child in certain circumstances.
The new > Road Safety and Transport Bill 2014 released on Saturday for comments from the public proposes to be especially harsh on drunk school bus drivers and youngsters in the 18 to 25 age bracket.
Inebriated school bus drivers will be fined Rs. 50,000 with imprisonment for three years for the first offence while youngsters will also have their licences immediately cancelled along with a fine of Rs. 25,000.
The Government’s proposals get harsher for a subsequent offence with the Bill mooting fine of Rs. 50,000 or imprisonment up to an year or both besides a one year license suspension.
The draft Bill also proposes stiffer fines for red light jumping such as Rs. 15,000 for the third offence along with cancellation of the driving licence. Offenders will also be asked to go for a month’s compulsory refresher training.
India has been grappling to reduce the fatality rate on its roads which at 1.4 lakh deaths every year is among the highest in the world.
The draft also suggests corrective steps aimed at curbing fatalities. "Our new 'golden hour' policy will provide immediate relief to accident victims and help save lakhs of lives," Roads and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Twitter.
The Government hopes effective implementation of the Bill’s provisions would pare deaths on roads to two lakh in five years. The Bill might be introduced in the winter session of Parliament. To ensure offenders are tracked down and prosecuted, the Bill suggests a single-window automated driving licence systems and unified biometric systems, a unified vehicle registration system and a single National Road Transport & Multinational Coordination Authority and Goods Transport and National Freight Policy.
