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| Edited By: DNA |Source: DNA |Updated: Jul 17, 2019, 07:00 AM IST
It is one thing to hold up politically contentious bills in Parliament when faced with lack of consensus.
In a democracy it is understandable, if not particularly desirable. It is quite another to deliberately stall bills that benefit the lives of common men and women. The bill that falls under this category is one that seeks to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, which provides for higher penalties for violations and protection of good Samaritans, among other public-spirited provisions.
It was introduced in Parliament for a second time on Monday. The bill was passed in the previous Lok Sabha, but could not get Rajya Sabha approval. If enacted, it would save the lives of many common passengers. The bill seeks to increase penalties for violations, facilitate grant of online learning licence, simplify provisions for insurance to provide expeditious help to accident victims and their families, and protection of do-gooders who help accident victims.
Other progressive proposals include an increase in the period of renewal of transport licence to five from three years and enable authorities to grant license to differently-abled persons. Another provision seeks to raise the time limit for renewal of driving license from one month to one year before and after the expiry date. It should be considered a travesty of justice if a well meaning bill, which seeks to provide public welfare measures, is not passed on the grounds that the Centre is encroaching upon the powers of the state.
While it is true that transport is a state subject, Union minister Nitin Gadkari has rightly stated that he was ready to discuss all issues with opposition members, adding for good measure that the bill was prepared after discussions and recommendations by state transport ministers during the previous regime. To assuage fears, he said that the provisions in the legislation are not binding on states and it is up to them to implement it. There are good reasons why this bill is needed.
A shockingly high 30% of driving licences in the country are bogus, while about 1.5 lakh people perish in road mishaps every year, in addition to five lakh injuries. The minister noted – without being challenged by members of the opposition benches – that the number of accidents had come down by around 3-4% in the last five years while in Tamil Nadu itself, the incidence had reduced by a substantial 15%.
The importance of this bill can be assessed by the fact that historically, its preceding bills and Acts have dealt with the question of accidents and public safety and welfare thereof. The first Motor Vehicles Act was enacted in 1939 and dealt specifically with accidents arising out of the use of motor vehicles.
The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, was enacted to consolidate and amend the law relating to motor accidents. It aimed at regularising the use of motors and to compensate victims who had died or were injured, as well as family members of the deceased. This Act was further amended in 1994 and the current bill marks yet more improvements. To attribute politics to a bill of this nature would be highly imprudent.
