Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on August 2, 2021, said that Amendments in the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) had improved road safety scenario in the country besides reducing loss of lives.
The Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act, 2019 passed by Parliament focuses on road safety and includes, inter-alia, hike in penalties for traffic violations, electronic monitoring of the same, enhanced penalties for juvenile driving, computerisation/automation of vehicle fitness and driving, tests, recall of defective vehicles, streamlining the third party insurance and payment of increased compensation for hit and run cases etc. The Amendment has strengthened the Law to improve the road Safety scenario and reducd loss of lives, Gadkari said, according to a PIB release.
The Ministry issues regulations to improve vehicle safety standards, undertakes site specific interventions to address blackspots, and also mobilises various activities to promote road safety such as road safety advocacy and awareness programmes. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has notified fitment of Speed Limiting devices on all transport vehicles. It has also issue of Guidelines for protection of Good Samaritans, Gardkari said.
As per the information available with Transport Research Wing (TRW), total number of road accidents in the country during the last three calendar years from 2018 to 2020 (provisional) was :
| Year | Total Number of Road Accidents (in numbers) | %
change |
| 2018 | 4,67,044 | 0.46 |
| 2019 | 4,49,002 | -3.86 |
| 2020 (Provisional) | 3,66,138 | -18.46 |
Additionally, the Section 91 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 has placed a restriction on the hours of work of drivers operating Motor Vehicles; Ministry vide G.S.R. 1433(E) dated November 20, 2017 amended sub-rule (4) of Rule 125C and mandated that for vehicles manufactured on or after the January 1, 2018, an air conditioning system be installed in the vehicle cabin or truck cabin ventilation system in accordance with AIS-056(Rev 1): 2017; Scheme for setting up of model Driving Training Institutes in States/UTs with central assistance; Scheme for setting up one model Inspection & Certification Centre in each State/UT with Central assistance for testing the fitness of vehicles through an automated system; the threshold for four laning of national highway has been reduced from 15,000 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) to 10,000 PCUs; Ministry has delegated powers to Regional Officers of MORTH for technical approval to the detailed estimates for rectification of identified Road Accident black spots for expediting the rectification process to ensure safety of road users; Removal of Liquor Shops as per directions of the Supreme Court vide circular of F. No. RW/NH-33044/309/2016/S&R dated April 6, 2017 and June 1, 2017.
This information was given by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.