There is a daily feed of news on road rage and accidents across the country both in the print and the electronics media and well why not if you look at the statistics they are just mind boggling with an average of 5 Lakh accidents and 1.5 Lakh fatalities in a year, which comes down approximately to 1370 accidents and 411 people killed per day. Well that’s indeed a huge number, much larger than any killer disease or any kind of natural / man made calamities, though at hindsight it gives an impression of just a passing issue, which does not require any immediate attention.
Imagine practically 400+ people killed on a daily basis and many more injured with deep physical and mental scars for life making the victim and their families traumatized forever and frankly all these accidents and incidents are easily avoidable.
The media generally covers the rich & the famous accidents involving the BMW’s and the Mercs or the ones which are more of cold blooded ones where the victims are brutally and innocently killed in an accident. People have been aware of these accidents and how brutal they are, but lack info about how deep and glaring the menace has grown today. With the number of vehicles rising each day, there will be a proportionate increase in the number of fatalities.
We have seen many high profile cases of Salman Khan, Sanjeev Nanda, Alistair Pereira, Sambia Sohrab and many more such rich lads who have been wreaking havoc on the streets by the sheer ego and their money power or on their dad’s wealth, but these have been more focused on getting justice and the culprits do not manage to go Scot free post the incident. Well that’s a must, but the attention on how to avoid accidents at the first place itself needs priority.
The “chalta hai” attitude and the “jugad” technology is also to be blamed apart from our penchant to break some of the basic and simple traffic rules like the signals, helmets, seat belts, driving wrong direction, etc.
To correct this weakness the government has done a course correction, by making the “Motor Vehicle Bill 2016” tougher with increase in penalty by 4 to 5 times and also apart from the penalty thing the act will also include provisions in common man’s interest like an improve in public transport Eco-system along with last mile connectivity and strengthening of rural transport, reduction or elimination of corruption and reduced waiting period for vehicle registration by extensive use of IT, issuance of online Learning licenses and increase in its validity period.
This “ Motor Vehicle Bill 2016 ” bill is scheduled to be passed by the next parliament session.
The minimum fine has now been raised from Rs 100 to 500, so next time you break a signal, violate a NO ENTRY rule, break lanes, park in a NO PARKING zone you will be fined a 500 rupee note. You have lost your license or simply you just do not have a license then you will have shell out 5000 instead of earlier 500.
Over speeding or trying to race your vehicle will now cost you 5000 instead of 500. Performing filmy stunts or behaving like a “dhoom” hero will empty your wallet by another 5000, with older penalty being just 1000. Driving without fastening seat belts or wearing helmets will cost 1000, up from Rs 100 and additionally for helmet violation 3 months of license disqualification. And if you think you’re smart by driving your vehicle with a disqualified license be ready to pay 10,000.
Had a great weekend party, been drunk and still trying to drive will cost 10,000, the older penalty being 2000.
Overloading of passengers and each extra passenger will attract 1000. Overloading of trucks which is primarily responsible for major highway related accidents will now attract a steep fine of 20,000 plus 2000 extra for each ton, this is almost 10 times more than the current fine. No “vehicle insurance” instead of 1000 now you pay 2000.
There are few more new and interesting clauses that have been included in this bill namely if you do not provide way for an emergency vehicle like the ambulance you are liable for a Rs 10,000 penalty, if an offense is being committed by a Juvenile as seen in many of the recent cases the guardian / owner shall be held accountable as guilty for Rs 25,000 with 3 years of imprisonment, vehicle registration will be cancelled and the Juvenile will be punished under Juvenile Justice act. Taxi aggregators if violating licensing rules will end up paying between 25,000 to 1,00,000.
Well it pains to see such hikes in penalties, but then we do have people who just would not learn the right way and therefore a need for slightly stronger deterrent.
The Bill has increased the compensation payable to the victims in accidents. The compensation for hit-and- run cases will be increased from 25,000 to 2 lakh and to simplify the third party insurance claims and settlement process the maximum claim in case of fatal road accident will be 10 Lakh.
“Charity begins at home” so if you are an enforcing authority / RTO / Traffic police and are not careful and break any of the above law you will end up directly paying twice the penalty prescribed for common citizens. Most of the cities are now getting CCTV cameras fixed on prime junctions, roads, offices, intersection points which has resulted these officials to work with honesty & efficiency and therefore a reduction in corruption.
With these changes the govt. intends to reduce these accident stats by less than 50 % in next 5 years.
Well at the end, must say people keep asking where is the “acche din” that Modi promised before elections and my answer would be up there in the corridors of the power full of lust for wealth and self-desire there is someone thinking and caring about our safety, security, saving mine and your lives is indeed more than a “acche din”, isn’t it?
