Is The Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016, a Step Closer to Vision Zero India?
byAparna Vijaykumar
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This webinar was hosted on Friday, 19 August 2016 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm IST (local time) and was presented by Amit Bhatt, Director - Urban Transport, WRI India.
Globally, approximately 1.25 million people die in road traffic crashes in a year. In 2015, India recorded 146,133 road traffic fatalities, of which, more than half are in the 15-34 age group. According to WHO, low and middle income countries lose approximately 3% of their GDP as a result of road traffic crashes. While India is home to roughly 2% of all motorized vehicles globally, its roads are amongst the most dangerous in the world accounting for over 11% of the global numbers. Experts agree that road safety needs a safe systems approach. A big deterrent till date has been the outdated Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) 1998, which prioritizes vehicles.
In order to tackle this, MoRTH (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) took a consultative approach by establishing a group of officers to conduct an in-depth study of the existing situation and bring state governments on-board for an overhaul of the current Act. This group decided that an amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, which upheld the key principles of the Road Transport and Safety Bill would be the best way forward. Once the Bill is approved, key changes would ensure affordable public transport for all and harsher penalties as a deterrent for unsafe driving practices. Strategies for safer public spaces with an emphasis on children and the vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists would ensure better safety for all. The use of technology as a means to achieve sustainable and safe transport is also a part of the bill.
This webinar highlighted how the bill can help in bringing down needless fatalities by improving safety and enforcing strict regulations. It followed an interactive format and also gave participants a chance to ask questions.
Note: Vision Zero is a multi-national road traffic safety project that aims to achieve a highway system with no fatalities or serious injuries in road traffic. It started in Sweden and was approved by their parliament in October 1997.