Criticism of new road transport & safety bill not founded on reasoning: Nitin Gadkari

 Defending the proposed provisions of Road Transport and Safety Bill, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, said that it does not violate the rights of the states and that the criticism from state governments and transporters is not well reasoned.
“The criticism of the new Road Transport and Safety Bill 2015, in a section of stakeholders, is not founded on reasoning,” said Mr Gadkari while addressing the inaugural session of the National Convention of Transporters in New Delhi. “The Bill ensures to adopt those standards and practices which provide safety on roads, development of better services to road-users and generation of more employment,” he added.
Mr Gadkari said that the new Bill does not violate the rights of the states. “As regards Inter-State contract carriage permits, these are envisaged to be issued by the National Transport Authority and the revenues due to each state would be transferred to concerned state on the analogy of National Permit System for goods carriers,” he said.
The Minister also said the quantum of fines in the case of law offenders has been brought down from the amount in the earlier draft in view of the paying capacity of the people, except in cases of very serious offence.
Mr Gadkari, underscoring the urgency to make transport sector more modernised and investment friendly, urged the transporters to take initiatives to develop state-of-the-art facilities for improving driving skill along with pollution certification and fitness test of vehicles.
Addressing the concern of the transporters in respect of road toll, the Minister said that abolition of toll is not possible though relaxation in this regard may be considered.

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