The main causes of traffic, cab drivers’ issues, and public transport problems in India:
- Rapid urbanisation & population pressure: Cities have seen a sharp rise in population and vehicles, while road capacity and urban planning have not kept pace.
- Inadequate public transport: In many cities, bus and metro networks are limited, overcrowded, or poorly integrated, pushing people toward private vehicles and cabs.
- Poor traffic management: Lack of signal synchronisation, parking management, and dedicated lanes leads to congestion.
- Rising number of cabs & private vehicles: Growth of ride-hailing platforms has increased vehicle density on roads, worsening traffic.
- Gig economy challenges: Cab drivers face income uncertainty, long working hours, and frequent rule changes, leading to protests and dissatisfaction.
- Weak policy coordination: Limited coordination among central, state, municipal bodies, traffic police, and airport authorities.
- Infrastructure gaps: Shortage of footpaths, cycling tracks, bus bays, and park-and-ride facilities.
- Weak enforcement: Poor compliance with lane discipline, parking rules, and traffic laws.
- Last-mile connectivity issues: Difficulty reaching homes from metro/bus stations increases dependence on cabs and autos.
Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019
What is it?
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 amended the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to strengthen road safety, traffic discipline, enforcement, and victim compensation through stricter penalties and technology-based regulation.
Key Provisions
- Higher penalties: Substantially increased fines for over-speeding, drunk driving, riding without helmet/seatbelt, and mobile phone use while driving.
- Technology-enabled enforcement: E-challans, CCTV/automation to improve compliance.
- Good Samaritan protection: Legal protection for those who assist road accident victims.
- National Road Safety Board: Provides technical advice on road safety policies and standards.
- Mandatory third-party insurance: Ensures better compensation for victims.
- Hit-and-run compensation: Enhanced and expedited relief to victims/families.
- Vehicle fitness & recall: Provision to recall defective vehicles.
- Driving licence reforms: Greater transparency and accountability in issuance/suspension.
- Regulatory basis for aggregators: Enables central guidelines to regulate ride-hailing platforms (cabs).
Objectives
- Reduce road accidents and fatalities
- Promote traffic discipline and accountability
- Ensure victim-centric compensation
- Leverage digital and smart enforcement
Challenges
- Uneven implementation across states
- Public resistance to higher fines
- Capacity gaps in enforcement and awareness