Apex court directs panel to evolve framework for drawing guidelines

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed a committee headed by former apex court judge A M Sapre to convene a meeting within two weeks to evolve a framework for formulating state-specific guidelines on electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety norms across states.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala agreed that urgent steps were needed to be taken to enforce Section 136A (electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

“The Motor Vehicle Act was amended in 2019 so as to incorporate provisions of section 136 A for electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety on national highways, state highways, roads and urban cities. The issue now is about ensuring due enforcement of the provisions of section 136A by drawing out state specific guidelines which would have to be done in collaboration with state governments.

“Section 215 B of the MV Act has provided for the constitution of a national road safety board in an advisory capacity. Having due regard to the framework, it would be appropriate for Justice A M Sapre, chairperson of committee appointed by the court, government official and amicus to set out modalities. The meeting may be convened preferably in two weeks. The amicus can then report to the court on the consensus arrived at in the meeting,” the bench said.

The matter is now listed for hearing in the first week of February.