Will Modi Government's Draft Transport Bill make road transport safer?

The Union Transport Ministry has prepared a Draft Bill to make reforms in the transport sector, which has been ignored by erstwhile governments. The government plans to introduce a digital systems for issuing driving licences, registration of vehicles besides setting up road safety police.

What is Draft Transport Bill?

The Draft Transport Bill is a bill which intends to bring reforms in the transport sector by introducing digital systems for issuing driving licences, registration of vehicles besides setting up road safety police.

What has been proposed in the Bill?

As per a HT report, "The Draft Bill proposes to increase penalties for traffic violations, with each violation earning a penalty.

As per the proposed bill, a licence may be suspended for a year for every 12 penalty points accumulated.

The Bill is being introduced to minimise human intervention by introducing a digital mechanism to judge driving skills.

There will also be online applications for issuing licences with bio-metric systems put in place to avoid duplication and fake licences.

Every licence will carry a unique number. The draft proposes to give emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire tenders a ‘right to way' over the VIP cars.

As per reports on IBN, "The Road Transport and Safety Bill 2014 provides for a permit system for national and interstate transport.

Those violating the law will have to pay a high penalty.

A road safety police similar to Railway Protection Force is also being planned.

The Bill will also provide stringent school transportation norms for example the provision of GPS in schools buses.

A road safety authority has also been proposed in the Bill at the national and state level.

The new bill also proposes the setting up of national and state safety authority and unified Vehicle Registration.

Emergency vehicles like ambulance and Fire Tenders to be given right of way over VIP carcades.

The bill also make it mandatory for school buses to contain Global Positioning System (GPS) systems."

How will this Bill help?

The draft ‘Road Transport and Safety Bill 2014' has been prepared after a study of traffic laws in five countries by a working group set up in the transport ministry.

The ministry will invite suggestions from the public on the draft before introducing it in Parliament. A source said government wants to put in place a unified system for the registration and transfer of vehicles.

The government estimate is that the bill will save two lakh lives per year, create another 10 lakh jobs and help in GDP growth.