For Daily Job Alert Join Our Whats App Channel
For Free Study Material Join Our Telegram Channel

Change gears: amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act

States should reconsider their opposition to amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act

India’s law governing motor vehicles and transport is archaic(प्राचीन/पुरातन), lacking(कमी/अभाव से) the provisions(प्रावधानों )necessary to manage fast motorisation. The lacunae in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, require to be addressed to improve road safety, ensure orderly use of vehicles(वाहनों /साधन) and expand public transport. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha last year, seeks to do this, but it has now run into opposition in the Rajya Sabha because of its perceived(माना जाता है/समझना) shift of power from the States to the Centre. The issue is not one of legislative competence(क्षमता/संपन्नता); as the subject is in the Concurrent List, Parliament can make a law defining(आंकना/स्पष्ट करना)powers available to the States. Some State governments are concerned(चिंतित/संबंधित) about the new provisions, Sections 66A and 88A, which will empower the Centre to form a National Transportation Policy through a process of consultation(परामर्श/मंत्रणा), and not concurrence(सहमति/मेल). The changes will also enable Centrally-drafted schemes to be issued for national, multi-modal and inter-State movement of goods and passengers, for rural mobility(गतिशीलता/परिवर्तनीयता)and even last-mile connectivity. Since all this represents(दरसाना/प्रतिनिधित्व करना) a new paradigm(मिसाल/उदाहरण) that would shake up(हिलाना/हलचल मचाना) the sector, several States have opposed the provisions as being anti-federal(विरोधी संघीय).Doing nothing, however, is no longer an option. The passenger transport sector operating within cities and providing inter-city services has grown(आगे बढ़ना) amorphously(उदारता ), with vested interests exploiting the lack of transparency and regulatorybottlenecks(बाधाएं/टोंटी). With a transparent system, professional new entrants can enter the sector. As things stand, State-run services have not kept pace with the times. Major investments made in the urban metro rail systems are yielding(पैदा कर रहे/मान लेनेवाला) poor results in the absence of last-mile connectivity services.

Creating an equitable(न्यायपूर्ण/साम्यिक ) regulatory framework for the orderly growth of services is critical(नाजुक/महत्वपूर्ण).This could be achieved(हासिल/उपलब्ध किया हुआ) through changes to the MV Act that set benchmarks for States. Enabling well-run bus services to operate across States with suitable permit charges is an imperative(अनिवार्य/आत्यावश्यक) to meet the needs of a growing economy. Regulatory changes introduced in Europe over the past few years for bus services have fostered(बढ़ावा/प्रोत्साहन देना) competition, reduced(कम किया हुआ) fares(किराया) and increased services operating across European Union member-states. Other aspects(पहलुओं/आकृति) of the proposed amendments deal with road safety. These, however, are likely to achieve little without strong enforcement(लागू करना/प्रभावशील करना) by the States. The effort to curb(नियंत्रण/फुटपाथ) institutionalised corruption at Regional Transport Offices by making it possible for dealers to directly register new vehicles, and enabling(सक्षम/सक्रिय करने के) online applications for driving licences is welcome. Care is needed to see that other measures(उपाय कार्यवाही), such as sharply enhancing(बढ़ाने/सुधारना) fines for rule violations, do not only result in greater harassment. It is the certainty of enforcement, zero tolerance and escalating(तीव्र/तना हुआ) penalties that will really work. There are some new provisions to harness(उपकरण/उपयोग करना) technology, including CCTV monitoring, to improve road safety, but these cannot produce results when there is no professional accident investigation(जाँच पड़ताल) agency to determine(निर्धारित/तय करना) best practices.

 

Important Vocabulary

1.Archaic(प्राचीन/पुरातन)
Synonyms : ancient, antiquated, obsolete, old-fashioned, outmoded
Antonyms : contemporary, current, in vogue, modern, new

2.Defining(आंकना/स्पष्ट करना
Synonyms : characterize, construe, decide, delineate, describe
Antonyms : confuse, hesitate, hide, misrepresent, obscure

3.Concerned(चिंतित/संबंधित)
Synonyms : anxious, distressed, disturbed, troubled, uneasy
Antonyms : calm, collected, composed, cool, happy

4.Paradigm(मिसाल/उदाहरण
Synonyms : archetype, chart, criterion, exemplar, ideal

5.Equitable(न्यायपूर्ण/साम्यिक ) 
Synonyms : decent, fair, honest, proper, reasonable
Antonyms : biased, intolerable, prejudiced, unreasonable, unsuitable

6.Imperative(अनिवार्य/आत्यावश्यक)
Synonyms : compulsory, critical, crucial, essential, immediate
Antonyms : inessential, insignificant, nonessential, optional, trivial

7.Escalating(तीव्र/तना हुआ)
Synonyms : expand, grow, heighten, intensify, mount
Antonyms : decline, decrease, diminish, drop, fall

8.Harness(उपकरण/उपयोग करना) 
Synonyms : belt, strap, equipment, tack, tackle

9.Enhancing(बढ़ाने/सुधारना)
Synonyms : add to, appreciate, augment, boost, build up
Antonyms : decrease, diminish, discourage, hurt, lessen

10.Aspects(पहलुओं/आकृति)
Synonyms: attitude, condition, facet, form, air
Antonyms: whole

 

freeapp

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here