New motor vehicle bill will be crucial for road safety: MPs

Cutting across the party lines, the members of Parliament have dubbed the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill as a crucial reform for

road safety.

Stressing on passing the legislation without any further delay, Rajya Sabha member Oscar Fernandes said, "We are all aware that the Bill is a crucial legislation that will be affecting lives of all the citizens, either as a motorists or pedestrians and it should be passed at earliest."

Explaining the need of the hour, Parliamentarian KTS Tulsi highlighted pertinent points that requires attention and calls for accountability from the accused in the cases of road accidents.

"In a country of over 1.3 billion people, 48 per cent of populace succumb to road accidents in the cases of over-speeding, while 46 per cent people die due to drunken driving, as per the reports of the National Crime Records Bureau. The bill is a move in the right direction and the sooner it is implemented, the better it will be for the citizens," Tulsi, a noted lawyer, said.

Speaking on the occasion, Ashim Sanyal of Consumer Voice said, "If the bill is passed in this parliamentary session, it would help in following UN mandate of reducing accident by 50 per cent by 2020." According to Road Transport & Highways Ministry report, about 1,374 accidents and 400 accidental deaths have taken place every day on roads in 2015, which can be reduced by only bringing a tough law.