Lok Sabha passes Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill: Hefty penalties, protection to good Samaritans among new provisions

New Delhi: A draft legislation to amend the Motor Vehicles Act to impose stiffer penalties for traffic rules violations and to protect the good Samaritans from legal harassment was passed by the Lok Sabha by voice vote on Monday. The bill proposes hefty penalties for various traffic offences, three-year jail term for parents of minors caught driving and causing fatal accidents, and a ten-fold increase in compensation for the families of accident victims, among other things. [caption id=“attachment_3379646” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “Five lakh road accidents and 1.5 lakh deaths occur every year in the country, which is a matter of concern. The bill has been designed to address these problems through different measures,” Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said during a debate over the bill. He said the bill has given more thrust to the road safety, controlling pollution and accidents. “The government has set a target to cut the number of deaths caused due to road accidents by 50 per cent over next five years. The government has also identified 786 blind spots across the country and will spend Rs 11,000 to remove them to curtail accidents,” he said. Gadkari said there is a provision for creating a fund for extending compensation and medical help to the road accident victims. He said the government will try to incorporate the suggestion of lawmakers regarding road safety. The bill provides for facilitating delivery of services to the citizens and transporters, and proposes Aadhaar-based verification for grant of online services, including learner’s licence. The changes in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016, were approved by the Union cabinet on March 31. The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha last August and was referred to a parliamentary standing committee, whose suggestions have been endorsed by the Union Cabinet.