: The International Road Federation (IRF), a Geneva-based global body working for better and safer roads world-wide, has appealed to the government and all political parties to help expedite passage of the amended Road Safety and Traffic Management Bill (Motor Vehicle Bill), which can save lives.
Mr. K.K. Kapila, chairman of IRF, said that out of the global 12.4 lakh deaths due to road accidents, India accounts for about 1.4 lakh deaths — the highest in the world.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has to take concrete measures to reduce halve the number of such deaths by 2020 as India is signatory to UN decade of Action for Road safety.
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“To reduce fatal road accidents and avoid incidents like the recent Mercedes accident case, where a minor and his parents are expected to get away easily, a tough new amended Motor Vehicle Act with clarification on accountability of vehicle owner for unlicensed driving, hefty fines for traffic violators, make getting driving license more difficult and bring in new laws on vehicle safety is immediately needed,’’ said Mr. Kapila.
“IRF urges all political parties to help in expediting passage of the new amended Road Safety and Traffic Management bill in the coming Parliamentary Session commencing April 25”.
The proposed bill provides for hefty penalties - almost 10 times more than what they pay now - for offences such as over-speeding and drunken driving. It also seeks to raise the compensation for death resulting from a hit-and-run accident to Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 50,000 for the grievously injured in such incidents.
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