The Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has said that an umbrella act is proposed to be prepared in about a month’s time incorporating various Central Rules and laws, like the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, Carriage by Road Act and Rules etc.,, . Briefing Newsmen after holding a review meeting on the subject of road safety in New Delhi today, he said a meeting of the National Road Safety Council, where all the State governments are to be the participants, will be convened in about a month’s time to discuss all related issues. The Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Shri Krishan Pal has been requested to co-ordinate the convening of the meeting. The Bill will be further prepared in a timely manner for its introduction in the Parliament. Such a bill will take into consideration the latest international standards after a study by the officials of the ministry, and they have been asked to undertake a study on the issue on a war-footing. He said a letter will be written to all the States inviting for their suggestions and people also can give their views through e-mails which will be sought through the website of the ministry.
The Minister urged the people to have respect for traffic rules and an element of fear has also to be brought in for any such violations. Shri Gadkari said no one should be spared for violation of traffic rules whatever their status or rank in the society is. The Minister said through adoption of information technologies, measures will be taken to prevent people taking multiple driving licenses. He said a system should be developed to confiscate the driving licenses of violators of road safety rules and it should be made difficult for them to obtain a driving license again. The Minster said that currently over five lakh people get injured, about 1.4 lakh people die in about 5 lakh accidents every year. Shri Gadkari had asked the Regional managers of the National Highway Authority of India to visit all the accident prone sites to improve the provisions for road safety at such spots. He said that the ministry is also considering to bring down the road traffic by developing inland waterways and by promoting coastal shipping.
During the meeting also attended by the Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Shri Krishan Pal, the Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Shri Vijay Chhibber and other senior officials, it was also proposed that a National Road Safety Board be constituted with professionals in various areas of road safety on such a Board. A Road Safety Fund from contributions from the cess on petrol and diesel is expected to contribute for its working.