Skip to content Skip to navigation

Road Safety conusltation held in Guwahati

Guwahati: Consumer Legal Protection Forum and Consumer VOICE, New Delhi is consumer protection organizations working to promote road safety. They organized a stakeholder workshop at hotel Aarian Atithya, Guwahati today. The main objective of the workshop was to strengthen the road safety aspects of MVA 2019.
 
Recently the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019 has been passed and got assent of the President of India. This amendment aims to make Indian roads safer, reduce corruption and use technology to overhaul the country's transportation system. The next step is to frame the Motor Vehicle Rules by Central and State governments to implement the amended law for improving road safety.

The consultation mainly focused on the six vital pillars of road safety which are seen as the best global practice to reduce road casualties. The next step is to adopt the CMVR in the state / UT agenda for immediate implementation to enhance road safety. Assam has taken lead in efforts to strengthen road safety and it’s high time to have a consultation processes with the concerned stakeholders to make the necessary legislative framework within the shortest possible time.

Ashim Sanyal, COO Consumer VOICE said “The most effective ways to reduce road crash deaths is through strengthening road safety laws. We appreciate and congratulate the Government for giving green signal to the most awaited Motor Vehicles Act 2019. According to the road transport and highways ministry, half a million accidents are reported in India every year, in which 150,000 people lose their lives. The amendment Act will help to reduce the road fatalities and injuries with the stringent penalties / other provisions and change the road habits of citizens who are breaking the rules. We urge the Assam government to include the new rules of MVA 2019 in the Assam Motor vehicle rules.”

Gautam Das, District Transport Officer, Kamrup (R) said “The transport department is working on road safety in Assam to make state roads safer. We were following the Central government MVA 1988 and also have Assam Motor Vehicles Rules 2003 which also includes the main risk factors of road safety. We will follow and include the new amended rules by MVA 2019 to make stringent enforcements.
According to the data of ministry number of road crash fatalities in India currently hovers around 1.5 lakh with another 5 lakh injured. Number of lives lost on national highways during last year was, 54,046 as compared to 53,181 in 2017.
 
Prasanta Saikia, DCP (Traffic), Commissionerate of Police, Guwahati said that in the last six months itself in Assam around 2,359 accidents occurred in which 1,980 people were injured and 928 lost their life. It’s time to take the new rules amended in Motor Vehicles Act 2019 to make police enforcement drives more effective to prevent casualties.  

Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 1988 which came into force in 1989 was 30 year old act and  new MVA 2019 replaced this act. In the new Motor Vehicles Act 2019 around 89 provisions include increase in penalty related to risk factors such as drunk driving, over speeding, helmet  wearing , seat belt  and child restraint , culpability of parents of juveniles for violation of rules, provisions for the electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety, good Samaritan provisions etc are included to strengthen the road safety.
Ajoy Hazarika, Secretary, Consumer Legal Protection Forum said that over 50% of road deaths in recent years have been in the age group of 14-35 which is prime productive age group. These were caused because of high speed, breaking traffic signals, not wearing helmets / seat belts, drink driving among other causes. These can be effectively stopped by enforcing the new MVA rules.

Rinki Sharma, Project Head, Consumer Voice, Joysing Rongphar, MVI, Kamrup and Bikram Gogoi, Enforcement Inspector, Kamrup speakes on "next steps to enforce amended laws and the best practices to enhance road safety beyond just law enforcement" in the panel discussion as a panelist.

The program was largely attended Transport and Traffic Police officials, Students, Media, CSOs and activist working on road safety.

Author info

AT News's picture

Assam Times Staff. editor@assamtimes.org

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Road shows end

26 Feb 2014 - 4:48pm | AT News
Road shows have come to an end. Rahul Gandhi got rousing response from lakhs of the people on his way from Nagaon to Tezpur on Wednesday afternoon.Sitting on the hood of his car, the Congress vice...

Rains wreak havoc in Guwahati

13 May 2013 - 10:55am | AT News
Normal life comes to a grinding halt in Guwahati  following the incessant rains that inundated the city roads and by-lanes for the third consecutive day on Sunday.The RG Baruah Road, GNB Road,...

2 crores for fire ravaged DEM Hr. School

19 Jan 2016 - 12:13am | AT News Itanagar
The state government has sanctioned 2 Crs. for restructuring of fire ravaged Daying Ering Higher Secondary School, Pasighat. This was informed by the PMC Chief Councilor Denong Tamuk today while...

Modi govt faces flak on dam

4 Jul 2014 - 5:52pm | AT News
The soon to be resumed NHPC work is expected to put the Assam BJP leadership in trouble in the face of the stiff resistance from many parties and organizations. KMSS, who has been spearheading the...

Other Contents by Author

The prestigious Golok Samman for 2023 has been announced, honoring four distinguished young individuals for their exceptional contributions in the fields of art, translation, research, and environmental activism. The award, instituted by the UD Foundation in memory of the noted translator and social worker Golok Chandra Datta, celebrates those who have made significant cultural and social impacts in Assam. This year’s recipients are Dr. Sanjeev Bora, a renowned artist; Avantika Parashar, a noted translator; Rajesh Dattabaruah, an environmental activist; and Dr. Baburam Saikia, a Sattriya dancer and researcher. Recognizing Talent in Art and Visual Media Dr. Sanjeev Bora has been...
Join Our Dedicated Volunteer Team! Assam Times, a volunteer-run news platform established in 2007, is seeking talented individuals to join our team as English to Assamese volunteer translators. Are you: A native Assamese speaker with excellent fluency in written English? Passionate about accurate and culturally sensitive translations? Committed to delivering high-quality content for our readers? If so, we want to hear from you! Responsibilities: Translate a variety of news articles and content from English to Assamese, ensuring accuracy and clarity. Maintain a consistent and high-quality writing style for Assam Times. Meet deadlines and communicate...
Guwahati, September 18: Aaranyak, in partnership with the Namdapha Tiger Reserve Authority and supported by the Arcus Foundation, has initiated a groundbreaking Hoolock gibbon conservation education program in the fringe areas of Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh. This initiative, which commenced on August 22, is the first of its kind in the state and aims to create a community of young conservationists who can actively contribute to the protection of this endangered primate. The program has reached 17 schools in the Miao subdivision, covering students from upper primary to higher secondary levels. The sessions, conducted by the Primate Research and...
Diets rich in ultra-processed foods have long been associated with a myriad of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and even premature death. However, the vast category of ultra-processed foods encompasses a wide range of products, from seemingly benign options like whole-grain bread and plant-based milk to more obvious culprits like hot dogs and sugary sodas. A recent groundbreaking study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has shed new light on the specific types of ultra-processed foods that pose the greatest risk to heart health. This comprehensive study, published in The Lancet Regional Health-Americas, analyzed data...
Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its one-horned rhinoceros and diverse ecosystems, is at a critical crossroads. Known for its rich biodiversity and the harmonious coexistence of local communities with nature, Kaziranga's landscape and social fabric are under threat. The Assam government's push to boost tourism by transferring land adjacent to the park to private hospitality industries has sparked significant controversy, raising concerns over the rights of indigenous communities and the ecological future of the region. The Push for Luxury Tourism Today marks a significant step in the Assam government's tourism agenda, with the signing of another...
The mid-20th century in America was a time when smoking was as normal and ubiquitous as eating. Picture this: in 1956, the average American smoked about 4,000 cigarettes a year. That’s a half-pack a day, for everyone—men, women, and even some children were all puffing away, encouraged by a relentless media, celebrities, and even health professionals. Fast forward to 2019, and while smoking rates have plummeted, a new health crisis has taken its place—our diet. Today, the leading cause of death and disability in the United States is not smoking; it's what we eat. The Global Burden of Disease Study, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, identifies poor diet as the #1 cause of...
A day after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared that he "will take sides" and "will not let Miya Muslims take over all of Assam," opposition leaders filed a police complaint on August 27 accusing him of promoting enmity between different religious and ethnic groups. The complaint was lodged at the Dispur police station by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen Borah and Assam Jatiya Parishad's Lurinjyoti Gogoi, representing the United Opposition Forum, a coalition of groups opposed to the BJP and its allies. The complaint, supported by Independent Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Bhuyan, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia, and Congress...
During our school days, when the historic Assam agitation broke out, we used to go to Tihu town in western Assam for joining  various protest demonstrations against the outsiders (read non-Assamese Indians) and the movement was initially known as ‘Bohiragata Kheda Andolan’ (literary meaning agitation to deport outsiders) to create a prosperous Assam for the indigenous population. Later it was redefined as the agitation against illegal migrants (read Bangladeshi/East Pakistani nationals) by the intellectuals and media barons in Guwahati, the virtual capital of northeast India. Simultaneously an armed movement also surfaced with an initial trigger from the economic domination of Hindi...
The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP), a prominent national social organization representing Gorkhas across India, has expressed its gratitude towards the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for issuing a notification that resolves the longstanding NRC Biometrics-Aadhaar linkage issue. This development is expected to bring relief to nearly 9.35 lakh individuals in Assam, including over one lakh Gorkhas who have been affected by the issue. Nanda Kirati Dewan, the General Secretary of the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, Assam State Committee, expressed appreciation for the MHA’s intervention. He noted that the BGP has been actively engaging with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)...
Guwahati: The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) has expressed serious concerns over the ongoing Meitei-Kuki-Zo ethnic conflict, which began on May 3, 2023. Despite maintaining a stance of neutrality, the NSCN has been closely monitoring developments and is alarmed by the increasing violence, particularly against Christians. In a press statement released today, the NSCN highlighted a disturbing trend of harassment and physical assaults against Christians by the militant group Arambai Tengol. The NSCN identified the group's strong convictions and extreme principles as the driving forces behind its radical socio-political reforms. "The violent extremism followed by Arambai...