Year End Review 2019- Ministry of Road Transport & Highways

Provides for collection of user fee through FASTags based on RFID technology.
In order to save fuel, time and pollution and to ensure seamless movement of traffic, it has been decided to enable all lanes in Fee Plazas for electronic toll collection program through FASTags.

National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC)

NETC was developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016 for electronic toll collection at toll plazas using FASTag.
FASTag is a device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly while the vehicle is in motion.
FASTag (RFID Tag) is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and enables a customer to make the toll payments directly from the account which is linked to FASTag.
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tagging is a system that uses small radio frequency detection devices for identification and tracking purposes.

A State Support Programme aimed at incentivising the States to improve their road safety performance is proposed to be launched to reduce the overall fatalities by road accidents by 25% by 2024.
With a view to accurately recording the accident details so that timely corrective action is undertaken a Geo-Tagged accident data collection programme would be launched under the project “Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD)”.
IT based road safety infrastructure would be erected on all the four lane and above Highways. Incidence management systems shall also be provided on all such Highways.

The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 is the principal instrument through which road transport is regulated in the country. It has been amended by the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, passed by the Parliament in August 2019.
The Act will bring reforms in the area of Road Safety, bring citizen facilitation, transparency, and reduce corruption with the help of information technology and removing intermediaries.
The Act will strengthen public transport, safeguard and protect Good Samaritan and reform the insurance and compensation regime.
It will allow innovation and new technologies such as driverless vehicles, to be tested in live environment and increase efficiency in research.
The Act will facilitate Divyang by allowing motor vehicles to be converted to adapted vehicles with post-facto approval and facilitating licence to drive adapted vehicles.
The provisions of compensation and post – accident treatment have been amended and measures will be taken provide cashless treatment for accident victims.

Road Safety Initiatives in India

National Road Safety Policy outlines various policy measures such as promoting awareness, establishing a road safety information database, encouraging safer road infrastructure including application of intelligent transport, enforcement of safety laws etc.
National Road Safety Council as the apex body to take policy decisions in matters of road safety.
A dashboard for road accident data, through which people can access related data and other information both state-wise and the national averages, has been introduced.
VAHAN (an ICT-based solution for vehicle registration) and SARATHI (for licencing) apps have been launched to curb malpractices in issuing licences and vehicle registration.
Setu Bharatam Programme to make all national highways free of railway crossings by 2019.