To ensure lane driving, Centre to issue guidelines for signage and road markings | India News
NEW DELHI: The road transport ministry will in a week issue two sets of guidelines to deal with blatant violation of lane driving across different categories of roads, transport minister Nitin Gadkari told TOI. One of the guidelines will be for all road-owning agencies to strictly comply with the norms for putting signage and road markings, which is a prerequisite for lane driving.
Subsequently, it will issue guidelines for state governments to enforce the rule of lane driving and crack down on violators.
Though the provision of penalties for violating lane discipline were made a part of the amended Motor Vehicle Act of 2019 for legal backing, this is hardly enforced. As per the law, any such violation attracts Rs 500 fine for the first offence and Rs 1,000 for every subsequent offence. The government has made the ‘Rules of the Road Regulations’ a part of the MV Act, which has laid down the responsibility of every driver using any road in the country and how to change lanes.
Official data show that in 2021, a total of 8,122 persons were killed due to driving on the wrong side and lane indiscipline. Recently, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari pulled up officials for the missing signages and road markings while highlighting how all heavy vehicles keep plying across all lanes on NHs.
“What we first need is to put the right signage and road markings as per the standards prescribed by the Indian Road Congress (IRC). Unless we have the marking in place, how can the rules be enforced? We are simultaneously writing to the state governments to direct their enforcement agencies to step up vigil and crack down on such violations,” said a transport ministry official.
As per the Rules of the Road Regulations, the heavy vehicle or speed restricted vehicles must be driven in the left lane on a carriageway with several lanes in one direction, except when overtaking an obstruction or a slower moving vehicle. It also specifies that the driver shall return to the left lane as soon as he is safely past the obstruction or the slower moving vehicle.
Subsequently, it will issue guidelines for state governments to enforce the rule of lane driving and crack down on violators.
Though the provision of penalties for violating lane discipline were made a part of the amended Motor Vehicle Act of 2019 for legal backing, this is hardly enforced. As per the law, any such violation attracts Rs 500 fine for the first offence and Rs 1,000 for every subsequent offence. The government has made the ‘Rules of the Road Regulations’ a part of the MV Act, which has laid down the responsibility of every driver using any road in the country and how to change lanes.
Official data show that in 2021, a total of 8,122 persons were killed due to driving on the wrong side and lane indiscipline. Recently, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari pulled up officials for the missing signages and road markings while highlighting how all heavy vehicles keep plying across all lanes on NHs.
“What we first need is to put the right signage and road markings as per the standards prescribed by the Indian Road Congress (IRC). Unless we have the marking in place, how can the rules be enforced? We are simultaneously writing to the state governments to direct their enforcement agencies to step up vigil and crack down on such violations,” said a transport ministry official.
As per the Rules of the Road Regulations, the heavy vehicle or speed restricted vehicles must be driven in the left lane on a carriageway with several lanes in one direction, except when overtaking an obstruction or a slower moving vehicle. It also specifies that the driver shall return to the left lane as soon as he is safely past the obstruction or the slower moving vehicle.
