Implementation of Road Transport Act can brook no further delay
One wonders whether the government normally withholds implementation of a piece of legislation pending discussions with all the stakeholders directly or indirectly affected by the legislation. Yet that is the exercise the administration has launched into since the Road Transport Act-2018 was passed more than a year ago. It is surprising that the authorities have felt the necessity to amend the law even before it could be put into effect. Even a three-member committee, which was set up in February this year to look into how the law could be executed, has taken seven months to announce basically nothing more than the news that the law may be revised before it is made effective. This confirms the forceful assertion of another member of the committee that there is no scope at all for making the law effective before discussion with the transport workers. For all those who want and demand safe roads, it is disturbing.
One wonders why the application of a law dealing with public safety should be subject to announcement of the date by the government, when many such laws relating to public safety, security and human rights had come into effect immediately after they were passed. One would expect all necessary discussions with the various stakeholders to have been completed and all views considered before finalising the bill.
The reason why the said law could not be implemented—even the rules of procedures in this regard have not been formulated yet—was because of the strong resistance by the transport owners' and drivers' associations, who opposed some of the measures in the law. The public can be forgiven for thinking that what has gone on so far is an attempt to delay the implementation. Implementation of the law brooks no further delay. The law as passed is necessary if a semblance of discipline is to be inculcated in the transport sector, and the government should resist all pressure to alter it.
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