[sustran] Maharashtra government plans to formulate its own Transport Act

Vinay Baindur yanivbin at gmail.com
Fri Apr 24 18:18:13 JST 2015


http://www.firstpost.com/india/maharashtra-government-plans-formulate-transport-act-2211254.html







Maharashtra government plans to formulate its own Transport Act
Apr 24, 2015 14:28 IST

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*Mumbai:* Maharashtra government is planning to formulate a separate law
for the state on the lines of the Centre's Motor Vehicles Act, which will
allow it to take action against those who flout transport rules.

If Maharashtra succeeds in enacting such a law, it would become the first
state in the country to have its own Transport Act.

"The Central government's Motor Vehicles Act has several clauses that could
be used against errant drivers of large vehicles. But these drivers get
away finding loopholes in the Act," state Transport minister Diwakar Raote
told reporters here.The law will give powers to the state government to
take action against school buses ferrying more than the stipulated number
of children at a time, and trucks carrying excessive load of goods.

"While replying to a question during the Assembly session, I realised that
we do not have an Act of our own. I have consulted the Law secretary and he
has given an opinion that the state can have its own Transport Act. We have
started working towards formulating the law. If we succeed, we will be the
first state in the country to do so," Raote said.

Currently, the Central government's Motor Vehicle Act-1958 is applicable
all over the country. No state has its own Transport Act.

The minister said that he felt the need to formulate a separate Act because
the current rules are not stringent.

"I want people to respect the signal at zebra crossing. We will also
restrict the number of students to be carried in auto-rickshaw and buses
and the weight carried in a truck," he said.

There are several rules in this regard but they are not followed
religiously. If they are formulated as an Act, we will get more power to
punish the offenders," he said.

Raote, however, clarified that the purpose behind the Act is not to punish
people, but to have a discipline in the system.

"I have started consultations with the department officials. It might take
about two years to prepare a draft of the Act," he said.

The Maharashtra government's move is significant in the backdrop of the
ongoing tussle between the Union Transport Ministry and the National Green
Tribunal (NGT) over several restrictions on old vehicles.

According to Supreme Court guidelines, no new vehicle should be registered
unless there is a parking space for it.

The order will affect the new registration of vehicles and subsequently the
state's revenue through it, which runs into several crores, Raote said.

The minister also said that his department will file a review petition
against the SC order on vehicle registration.


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