Bill will remove several operational bottlenecks

There is a definite reason behind our increased stress on road safety now. Till 2011, just before the United Nations declared this decade as one of Action for Road Safety globally, we in India sensed an increase in the trend of deaths on the country’s roads. Even after we joined the UN campaign, there has been only marginal—rather unsatisfactory— decrease in the deaths. This, despite us launching an aggressive awareness campaign and communication process with state governments. That is when we sensed certain basic problems in the country’s road safety awareness and enforcement besides issues in financing so as to solve them.

The role the UN set must be taken up rightly by the country in view of the large number of people losing lives. Many more are being seriously injured. These have triggered thoughts and actions for a renewed need to change the entire road safety scenario in the country. In addition, sectors like transportation, transporters and the logistic companies always complain about several bottlenecks in the transport sector. These, they say, are reasons for reducing the productivity and per-capita income of the sector. For example, the countersigning of the goods and passenger permits,along with the various clearances required at different offices, thwart as well as reduce the speed of doing business in India. If the country wastes so much of man hours in such processes, how can the employment be in millions as envisaged?

That was when we thought of the need for a new legislation. The Road Transport and Safety Bill is, thus, being drafted so as to reduce the bottlenecks.

Provisions to improve road safety

The ministry has felt that the present Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 is weak in terms of its control over some aspects of the design of the motor vehicles. Also, studies on crash investigations led us to learn that their equipment bear certain deficits. Some of the issues should have ideally been resolved much earlier. For this, the country needs a dedicated authority accountable to the government—with specific targets. That warrants funds as always. These matters find provision in the Bill.

The states differ in their methods of dealing with trauma care. There must be uniformity.

Specification for roads construction

True, the Indian Roads Congress Code was used in the design and maintenance of roads and related sectors, but then the pertinent Act lacked provisions that would have ensured its strict enforcement in specification form, construction and maintenance. A National Road Safety Authority has been envisaged to have a member and a team dedicated to the civil engineering, specification for construction and maintenance.

Crash investigation and trauma care

We don’t have access to a unified platform and method for investigation of crashes in the country, especially those causing loss of lives. What’s more, different states have been using different software or methods. A good system of crash investigation, along with steps to better design of vehicles, roads and practices, will put brakes on avoidable crashes. The present Bill provides for it. Even when the whole system is based on prevention of crashes, such tragedies might happen, leading to serious injuries. Hence, the country needs a system of trauma care and funding of the system. The Bill includes provisions for these as well.

Inputs for the Bill

The ministry had formed a Committee under S. Sunder, who is a former Secretary with MoRTH, to draft a Bill. Several provisions of the present Bill had been taken from a detailed study he carried out before submitting a report. The proposed legislation, which has also draws elements from laws in the West, also includes various reports of the Law Commission, Parliamentary Standing Committees and National Transport Development Police Committee, among others, to include provisions that can incentivise the transport sector while upgrading safety.