India makes road safety progress

Indian and International experts came together in Mumbai to applaud the progress the government of India has made in improving road safety, following the implementation of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill 2017, passed in Lok Sabha in the April.

During the Round Table discussion, international experts lauded the government’s commitment to passage of strong road safety legislation in the Parliament, while encouraging continued efforts towards passage and implementation of the Bill.

The Bill closes major gaps in the legislative framework that governs road safety in the country by amending the 28-year-old Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (MVA). The next step in the legislative process is passage of the amended Bill in the Rajya Sabha during the upcoming August session, this is also a huge step forward for India in working towards its commitments to halving the injuries and fatalities in India by 2020.

Given that Indian roads witness over 500,000 road accidents each year resulting in 146,000 fatalities, The Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill 2017 is an important step towards strengthening the legal framework for improving road safety in India.

Kelly Larson, program director at Bloomberg Philanthropies, said, ‘The passage of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha is a big step forward for road safety in India. The international road safety community congratulates the Government and calls for immediate passage of this life saving bill in Rajya Sabha.’

The CEO of the Global Road Safety Partnership, David Cliff, stated, ‘The Global Road Safety Partnership applauds the passage of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill by the Lok Sabha and hopes that the Rajya Sabha will also pass the Bill in the next session of the Parliament.  The Bill reflects significant improvements to the provisions of road safety in the existing law.  Strengthening the provisions for regulating road users’ behaviors will contribute to the reduction of road traffic deaths and injuries in India.’

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