Safety Bill is mandated to replace existing Motor Vehicles Act of 1988. Draft Road Safety and Transport Bill 2014 looks to improve the system of catching an offender, streamline driving licence issuing, penalty, and vehicle registrationthrough digital systems. Speed limit checks are proposes through intelligent speed adaptation, driver alert control and eye drowsiness detector. All modern functionality’s are to be managed and by states at their level. Proposed road safety bill focuses on tech solutions over urban design solutions. Anil Shukla, Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police, Traffic says there is also no clarity on monitoring and compliance strategies and institutional arrangements.
He adds, the bill is focused on Electronic enforcement. At present, more than 35 per cent of challans sent out in Delhi by post to offenders are returned owing to wrong address. New Act with electronic registry and electronic disposal system makes things more difficult for Traffic police as Delhi still does not operate coordinated IT, electronic disposal and witness infrastructure in courts. The draft bill proposes various authorities aimed to bring about coordination and integration in multiple transport authorities, as well as, improve road safety and vehicle regulation, accountability and transparency in the planning and development of efficient multi-modal infrastructure is necessary.
There is no clarity about institutional arrangements. When it comes to catching traffic offenders, the bill does not clarify who is going to collect the fine, and how it is going to be utilised. Currently, about 15,000 people are caught violating traffic rules in Delhi. They outnumber Delhi traffic police staff in charge by more than 25-30 per cent. Of course, they can be penalised only if IT applications are used. Integration of traffic and transportation data is essential, and recovery of penalty amount should be made user-friendly upon failure to meet deadline says Anil Shukla. He also points out to need for more clarity on modified vehicle adoption, No bus or Truck code, silence on speed governors, and jay walking .
