RS clears Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the motor vehicle bill, which seeks to weed out corruption, improve road safety and usher in use of technology to regulate traffic, with certain amendments.

The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed in Rajya Sabha with 108 votes in favour and 13 against. Lok Sabha had passed the bill on July 23. However, due to changes in the Bill it will now be sent to the Lower House again for passage.

Some opposition members alleged that the the bill was against cooperative federalism as it encroaches the power of the state governments.

Union transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari assured the House that rights of the states will not be taken away.

Congress’ B K Hariprasad and other members raised points of order pointing to discrepancies in the bill. The Congress alleged that the Centre has “hoodwinked” Rajya Sabha on the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill as it was not in the form passed in Lok Sabha last week.

Amid protest by Congress members, Gadkari moved the bill saying, “I have brought in Rajya Sabha whatever bill was passed in Lok Sabha.” However, later Gadkari admitted that there were some printing mistakes and brought necessary amendments which were passed by the House.

The Congress supported the bill. A division of votes was sought by E Kareem of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

In his reply to members after discussion on the bill, Gadkari dispelled apprehension raised by some of the members that the proposed law encroaches upon state powers and encouraged the corporate sector to take over the transport sector.

He assured the members that Centre had no intention, directly or indirectly, to encroach upon the powers of states. Attributing most road accidents to faulty engineering, the Minister said that for the first time provision of fines for erring contractors has been made. Further, as many as 786 black spots had been identified and being fixed.