NEWLY AMENDED AUTOMOBILE BILL – TRANSFORMING TOMORROW

Motor vehicles including, automobiles was first introduced in India at the end of 19^th century. And to regulate their use 1914 Act was the first to be codified which had 18 sections under it.

Government plays a vital role in a citizen’s life by implementing laws and regulations as they are warnings for our safety only and we must follow it, as good laws are the offspring of bad actions only. With evolving times laws for automobile also evolved, from 1914 Act to Indian Motor Vehicle Act1924, Motor Vehicles Act 1939, which came into force in 1940.

Later, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 was introduced which regulated all aspects of road transport vehicles including both transport and non-transport vehicles. The Act provides details of legislative provisions regarding licensing of drivers/conductors, registration of motor vehicles, control of motor vehicles through permits, special provisions relating to state transport undertakings, traffic regulation, insurance, liability, offences and penalties, etc.

To exercise the above legislative provisions Government of India created Central Motor Vehicle Rules in 1989 and made sure that all the rules under the Act are enforced in a well organized manner, as no laws are better than laws not enforced.

Then again in 2016, Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the approval to new amended motor vehicle bill in 2016.

 The step was taken to address the issue of road safety and to enhance the customer experience while dealing with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways which is constituted of Group of Transport Ministers.

Amendments on the existing rule were made to improve the transport scenario in India and to address the issue of road safety by lowering down accidents and fatalities by 50% as over 5 lakh road accidents in a year are reported in the country in which over 1.5 lakh people lose their lives.

The bill aims to amend 68 sections out of 223, it also state the increase in compensation for hit & run cases from Rs. 25000 to Rs. 2 lakhs and payment of compensation upto Rs 10 lakh in road accidents fatalities.

In case, of offence committed by the Juveniles owner/guardian will be deemed guilty and juvenile to be tried under JJ Act, registration of the vehicle would be cancelled as well.

With the aim to properly implement the bill electronic detection devices will be installed to detect the violation like juvenile driving, drunken driving, driving without license, dangerous driving, over-speeding, overloading etc. and people who will break these rules will face strict punishments.

Bill also contemplate to mandate the automated fitness testing of vehicles by october’2018 which will reduce the corruption in transport department while decreasing the human interference and will also increase the road worthiness of the vehicle.

Government is playing its part for pollution free India, but laws alone cannot secure the country until every man present in the country follows them in an organized manner.

So, let’s come together and help government to work towards the common vision of pollution free advance India.