MSRDC to deploy quick response vehicles for E-way accident victims

September 22, 2014

Since 2002, there have been nearly 2,000 accidents on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. (Source:Express Archive)

With the current helpline service and a small fleet of regular ambulances being inadequate to provide immediate medical care to accident victims on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the state agency in-charge has decided to purchase quick-response vehicles for the 95 km long Expressway.

The quick response vehicles will be sophisticated ambulances equipped with emergency medical services that can be used for basic patient care till the accident victim is driven to the nearest hospital.

“We are looking for private companies to supply the vehicles with their centres and operate them for a period of 10 years. The quick response vehicles will be stationed at four different locations that are the nearest to the most accident-prone spots along the length of the expressway. We are yet to decide on the exact locations where the vehicles will be stationed,” said an MSRDC official, who did not wish to be named.

The corporation has earmarked Rs 66 crore for the purchase of the quick-response vehicles. The exact number is also yet to be finalised.

The six-lane Mumbai-Pune Expressway was fully opened for traffic in 2002. Since then, there have been close to 2,000 accidents in which more than 500 people have died. Officials say that most of the accidents are due to over-speeding, tyre bursts and the intensity of the accidents is exacerbated due to human errors such as not fastening seat belts and drivers dozing off at the wheel in the night.

Over the last two years, MSRDC, under whom the expressway was constructed, has decided to take various steps to improve safety levels and monitoring.

Besides deciding on the quick response vehicles, the corporation has also constructed a trauma care centre and a helipad at Ozarde near the Talegaon toll booth and is looking for companies or assistance from the government to start operations. Simultaneously, it is also awaiting a nod from aviation authorities to operate air ambulances from the helipad.

The corporation is planning a similar trauma care centre towards the Mumbai side of the Expressway. Specialised wire ropes, that arrest the movement of wayward vehicles and prevent damage and mishaps, have been set up along a five-km accident-prone stretch of the Expressway, with the plan of installing this system at 15 other stretches where accidents are common.

– Source: indianexpress

Automated system is answer to parking woes

September 22, 2014

Introduction

India, the second most populated country in the world, houses more than 40 million vehicles. It is the only country which saw a growing car sales even during the recession and recorded the highest sales volume during 2009 and 2010. India has a strong domestic market and this growth is expected to sustain and increase over the next few years, given that India’s car per capita ratio is currently among the lowest in the world’s top 10 auto markets.

However, infrastructure available for vehicles – such as roads and parking spaces – has been an increasing challenge in most Indian cities.

Traffic issues

Indian cities face a severe problem of congestion due to the growth of personal vehicles. Traffic management in many cities is marked by the introduction of one-way traffic systems, which have implications on pedestrian safety and fuel consumption.

One-way traffic is generally desirable only when complementary roads are available and the additional traveling distance is not more than 300 meters as per IRC. This ensures that whenever such systems are introduced, the interests of the public transport modes and pedestrians are duly addressed.

Parking

Demand for parking in the CBD areas of Indian cities is twice the supply. Acute shortage of parking supply is seen in commercial areas. Indiscriminate parking impedes the free flow of traffic and causes accidents.

 Multi-level car parking

A multi-level car parking system is meant to maximize car parking capacity by utilizing vertical rather than horizontal space. However, with land in the metros and ‘A’ grade cities becoming scarcer and dearer and plots getting smaller, conventional parking is proving infeasible. It is often found that ramps or car lifts consume so much parking area that no increase in parking capacity is possible. In such cases, mechanized car parking systems make creation of extra parking capacity feasible.

The Equivalent Car Space (ECS) that can be accommodated at a parking site would vary with the technology used. Types of multi-level parking currently available are:

Conventional multi-level

Conventional multilevel parking system can be underground, above ground or both under and above ground. The open parking structure is preferable to enclosed structures for above ground parking, as it does not require mechanical ventilation and specialized fire protection systems.

Automated multi-level

As against cars being driven on ramps or carried in car lifts to different levels in conventional multi-level parking, cars are driven at only one level for parking or retrieval. Cars are parked in steel pallets – a target pallet rides up or down to the driveway level at the press of a button for parking or retrieval. Technologies used for automated parking systems are of the following types:

– Puzzle Type or Modular
– Elevated Type or Tower
– Multi-Level Floor Parking
– Multi-Level Circulation Automated Parking System
– Rotary type
– TD (Stacker) System

Automatic multi-storey car parks involve lower building cost per parking slot, as they typically require less building volume and ground area than a conventional facility with the same capacity. However, the cost of the mechanical equipment that is needed within the building to transport cars internally needs to be added to the lower building cost to determine the total costs. Other costs are usually lower too. For example, there is no need for an energy-intensive ventilating system, since cars are not driven inside and human cashiers or security personnel may not be needed.

Automated car parks rely on technology similar to that used for mechanical handling and document retrieval. The driver leaves the car in an entrance module. It is then transported to a parking slot by a robot trolley. For the driver, the process of parking is reduced to leaving the car inside an entrance module.

At peak periods, a wait may be involved before entering or leaving because loading passengers and luggage occurs at the entrance and exit location rather than at the parked stall. This loading blocks the entrance or exit from being available to others. Whether the retrieval of vehicles is faster in an automatic car park or a self-park car park depends on the layout and number of exits.

Various multi-level car parking initiatives in India

New Delhi Municipal Council: A modern integrated multi-level car parking complex was recently opened in the busy Sarojini Nagar area to decongest this popular marketplace. This project is to be developed by DLF for New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The parking would accommodate 824 vehicles at an investment of INR 80 crore on a Built-Operate-Transfer basis. Similar car parking facilities are being planned at Baba Kharag Singh Marg and Kasturba Gandhi Marg.

Municipal Corporation of Delhi: A fully automated multi-level car parking complex is planned at Mandalia Chowk in Kamla Nagar. The parking complex is planned to accommodate 828 cars and 300 two-wheelers and will be constructed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi at a cost of INR 110 crore within a period of two years. The MCD has identified 24 sites that will be developed into parking sites at Lajpat Nagar, Rani Bagh, Greater Kailash-I, Defence Colony, Karol Bagh, South Extension, Mori Gate, Greater Kailash-II, Qutub Road and Rajouri Garden.

Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has already invited tenders for nine plots to build multi-level parking lots in the Capital. These plots will be developed on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis similar to the model followed by the agency for its Nehru Place multi-level parking lot. The parking lots, which will have between three to seven levels depending on size and location, will be built at community centres or district centres in Dwarka, Janakpuri, Hari Nagar, Wazirpur, Okhla, Motia Khan, Mayur Place and Yamuna Vihar.

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has planned to set up a multi-level car parking system at Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra at two locations – Sector 17 and near the Civic Hospital – with a project cost of INR 10 crore. The car parking system will have two 11-storey tower car parks for accommodating 22 cars each and a three-level puzzle park for 43 cars.

At Vashi Civic Hospital, there will be three 11-storey towers accommodating 22 cars each and a 7-storey puzzle car park for 110 cars. The total parking capacity will be 263 cars. In the tower system, a lift ferries cars to a height and parks them. In the puzzle system, which is wider than taller, cars are fitted into various vacant slots. Seven more mechanized car parks have been planned – five of the multi-level lots will follow the tower system and two the puzzle system.

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation: Kolkata-based Simplex Projects Ltd has received offers to set up an automated multi-level car park here. Simplex Projects has to its credit the country’s first multi-level car parking system Parkomat at New Market in Kolkata. The design and technology for car parking systems are acquired from Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and Korea and are usually assigned projects on a built-own-operate-transfer basis.

Bangalore Mahanagar Palika is planning to construct five new multi-level car-parking complexes over the current year, 2014 at an estimated cost of INR 20 crore. Around 15 such new car-parking complexes will be built at an estimated cost of INR 60 crore. Car parking complexes have been planned in various parts of the city such as MG Road, Commercial Street, Shivaji Nagar, KG Road, Gandhi Nagar, KR Market, Mysore Road, Jayanagar Shopping Complex, Malleswaram and Seshadripuram. The BMP has already taken steps to construct three multi-level car-parking complexes on JC Road, Kempegowda Road and Magarath Road.

Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) is planning a multi-level car parking complex in private partnership, close to the NTR Garden on the Buddha Purnima Road.  An extent of 2.5 acre of area has been earmarked for the complex that would accommodate about 1,000 cars, besides 500 two wheelers.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation has been tying up with private companies to venture into automated MLCP in the city where there is immense space and parking crunch.

Conclusion

International case studies prove that providing innovative solutions to parking problems and introducing mass transit systems do a lot more than just solve traffic problems. Such solutions also result in increased real estate values in a city, since consumers are willing to pay more for the convenience.

One method of addressing the escalating shortage of parking spaces in shopping areas would be to restrict parking at few locations and imposing heavy parking fees. This would go a long way in creating space availability, making the pathways outside malls more pedestrian friendly and generally enhancing the livability of the city’s urban environment.

Automated multi-level car parking facilities at important locations are also a viable way of addressing parking requirements. They can contribute significantly in reducing traffic congestion.  These should ideally be developed near public transit points, within walking distance of key destinations. International property consultancy JLL is now actively advising many city authorities and developers on such solutions. MLCPs are now being implemented on a Design, Build, Operate and Transfer model via Public Private Partnerships.

In order to make such projects financially viable, the Strategic Consulting division at JLL India suggests that certain portions of the development be laid open for commercial exploitation. Incentives such as additional FSI and a revision in existing parking fees needs to be offered to private developers in order to increase their interest levels in participating in MLCP projects. There is definitely scope for making these developments, which should now qualify as vital infrastructure, more popular.

The concerned authorities need to impose strict penalties on owners of commercial buildings who do not provide adequate parking facilities. At the same time, more FSI could be offered to developers for new developments in certain locations if they contribute free parking spaces.

Meanwhile, the recent introduction of automated parking meters in four of Chennai’s key locations has the potential for introducing a new dimension of parking discipline.

However, there is still a general lack of awareness about these parking meters and the purpose they serve. Along with awareness and compliance enforcement, the number of such meters also needs to be increased in various commercial areas of major cities.

Above all, policy reforms and their implementation are the most effective tools in providing efficient parking solutions and management. In the long run, citizens will need to revise their perceptions about the use of private vehicles and exhibit an increasing preference for public transportation.

A Shankar, head – Strategic consulting (Chennai | Coimbatore | Colombo) JLL India

 

Source:magicbricks

The views expressed here are the author’s own.

IT majors queue up with smart city plans

September 22, 2014

The plans for smart cities and bank accounts for all adult Indians are opening up major investment opportunities for IT giants like IBM.

Vanitha Narayanan, managing director of IBM India and South Asia, told a select press meet that her company has already provided a blueprint for a smart city to the government. “We met Amitabh Kant, (secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion) when he was the CEO of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project” she said.

IBM joins the growing league of global IT firms that plan to step up their investments in India to take advantage of the digital plans of the Narendra Modi-led government. Cisco has already signed an agreement to transform Bangalore Electronic City into a smart city in partnership with Electronics City Industries Association.

Similarly SmartCity Dubai plans to tie up with the Madhya Pradesh government for a similar project to be located between Bhopal and Indore. Narayanan said that with the new government in power, the investment environment of the economy has “changed”.

Commenting on the tax notices served by the revenue department on IBM, she said, “We are now talking to the government about it.” The company has been asked to pay a sum of Rs 5,357 crore as outstanding income tax for FY09 , which it has disputed.

IBM has big plans for India as it expands its global cloud footprint. While the number of its data centres in the country will jump to about 40 by the end of this year riding on its private cloud service, Narayanan said the investment in public cloud  solutions will especially help small and medium enterprises deliver solutions for their customers .

Source:The Indian Express

Sistema JSFC plans to develop Narendra Modi’s Smart City project

September 20, 2014

Sistema JSFC, the Russian oil to telecom conglomerate with $34 billion of annual revenue, plans to approach the Indian government with a proposal to develop smart cities on the lines of projects it has implemented back at home.

Sistema’s global leadership team will shortly make presentations to the Prime Minister’s Office and urban development ministry on the smart cities it has developed in Moscow and other Russian cities such as Rostov, Ufa, Kazan, Smolensk and Novosibirsk, a top company official told ET.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to discuss the topic with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visits New Delhi in December for the Indo-Russian summit, a person with knowledge of the matter said. The Russian government owns 17.3 per cent of Sistema’s Indian arm, telecom operator Sistema Shyam Teleservices, which is likely to be involved in the plans.

Source:Economic Times

No toll for Gurgaon vehicles at Kherki Daula

September 20, 2014

Owners of commercial vehicles registered in Gurgaon have been exempted from paying toll at the Kherki Daula plaza on National Highway-8 from Monday.

The company managing the toll complex withdrew the notice it issued last month and decided to keep Gurgaon-registered vehicles out of its ambit after hundreds of residents from nearby villages protested at the toll complex and removed the boom barriers making the stretch toll free for close to two hours.

Compromise

The protesters literally took over the toll plaza around noon. A compromise between the company and the villagers could be arrived at only after the local administration intervened.

The villagers have been at loggerheads with Millennium City Expressway Private Limited, the company managing the toll, over past one month after the company started collecting toll charges from commercial vehicles owned by the villagers, who were earlier exempted from it. Vehicle owners of around 40 villages were exempted from toll charges until last month.

The decision was opposed by the villagers and they had staged a similar protest on August 19 as well. In response, the toll company had filed a criminal complaint against some of the villagers. The residents have been pressurising the local administration to withdraw the notice. They even held a mahapanchayat over the issue on August 27 that was attended by residents of around 60 villages.

 

 

Villagers have been at loggerheads with the company managing the toll after it started collecting charges from them. They were earlier exempted from it

Source:The Hindu

Electronic toll collection on highways: NHAI signs pact

September 20, 2014

NHAI-promoted Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) has inked a pact with Axis BankBSE 0.57 % for services related electronic toll collection, which the government plans to introduce pan-India.

Considering the complexities and geographical spread, the nationwide electronic toll collection (ETC) would be first of its kind in the whole world.

“IHMCL, a NHAI promoted company and Axis Bank has signed an agreement for provision of Central Clearing House (CCH) services and sale of FASTag, for Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) at the Toll Plazas on the National Highways,” an official statement said today.

It said ETC system on Delhi – Mumbai stretch of the national highways will be made operational by the end of this month and a nationwide rollout will be carried out by the end of year.

Earlier this year, IHMCL had signed agreement with ICICI Bank also and it has two banks now to perform clearing and settlement of electronic toll transaction, which is a key requirement for electronic toll collection.

This is subsequent to the initiative taken by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, NHAI and IHMCL for implementation of unified Electronic Toll Collection on Indian national highways.

Electronic Toll Collection enables road users to pay highway tolls electronically without stopping at the toll plazas.

“The unique number of the RFID FASTag affixed on the wind shield of the vehicle will be read by the readers fitted in the dedicated ‘ETC’ lanes of plazas and the toll will be deducted automatically,” the statement said adding this will help in reducing congestion at the toll plazas and enable seamless movement of vehicles on the national highways.

The Ministry has decided to roll out ETC programme in the country under the brand name “FASTag”.

The dedicated ETC lanes will have colour coding for distinct identity recognised as “FASTag lanes”.

ICICI Bank and Axis bank, engaged for providing CCH services, would distribute RFID based “FASTag” through their franchises/agents and at points of sales near the toll plazas

Road users can enrol and get “FASTag” affixed on their vehicles at designated toll plaza locations or Point of Sale (POS) stations of Axis bank and ICICI bank.

Such type of highway tag brands are common in developed countries and are known by different names like “Eazee Pass”, “SunPass” in the US, “e-Pass” in Australia, “Salik” in Dubai etc

Source:Economic Times

Can intelligent transportation systems solve India’s traffic congestion problems?

September 17, 2014

In 2012, an IIM-Transport Corporation of India study revealed that India loses Rs 60,000 crore a year due to congestion. For most citizens, traffic congestion and unpredictable travel-time delays are problems that is already factored in their daily lives.  Can technology help in clearing traffic congestion? In India, a first step for testing whether technology can help in clearing congestion is being tried out in the city of Ahmedabad by a company called Zero-Sum ITS.  Once implemented, this solution will be showcased as a mechanism of using technology to aid in decongesting traffic conditions in other cities. Understanding that the high cost of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) undermines its importance, the firm has customized the solution to best suit Indian conditions. The ITS solution uses a hybrid model of gathering vehicle information on the roads from camera based traffic sensors and GPS information from vehicles.  The collected traffic information is sent to a cloud based control center which then analyses the gathered traffic information to understand the traffic flow and congested areas in the target area. The ITS solution then displays the processed information onto huge electronic information boards that are placed approximately 200 meters before every traffic light. This information will aid motorists in making a decision on which roads to avoid and taking up alternate routes to reach their destination. A cloud-based control center negates the need for having to setup up a physical control center with manned personnel and manual intervention through a tablet computing device. This enables the police to control the solution in case of an emergency from any location within the city.   “The key goal of the ITS solution being implemented by Zero-Sum is to ensure better traffic management by providing more information to road users and enabling them to plan their trips optimally thereby reducing travel time, saving fuel and decongesting busy roads,” says Chikara Kikuji, Managing Director, Zero Sum ITS.  Key components of the traffic management solution Based on a traffic study undertaken by Zero-Sum in cooperation with the Ahmedabad Traffic Police and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Zero-Sum will install ten camera based traffic sensors across various locations on 132 Feet Ring Road of Ahmedabad. These sensors will gather information on the traffic flow including speed, density, vehicle classification and send the information to a cloud based traffic control center. This center will receive the information from the traffic sensors and the traffic police will process the information that needs to be shared with the public regarding the traffic jams in the city. This center will not require any physical space to be setup thereby eliminating the need of having to allocate space inside the Ahmedabad police station for the hosting of the ITS solution. The solution will be hosted through a cloud data center and therefore no physical set-up is required in Ahmedabad. The ITS setup will include setting up of four electronic information boards across key road junctions in Ahmedabad. These information boards will receive what information is to be displayed from the traffic control center and will display to the public which roads are congested and the de-tour route to take so as to avoid entering into the traffic jam or congested areas. For the dual purpose of providing real time traffic updates and gathering traffic information, mobile phone users in Ahmedabad city will be provided mobile applications that can be downloaded free of cost. This application will also have useful information such as city map, important POI (Point of Interest) locations such as gas stations, shopping malls and restaurants. As part of the ITS trial solution, five tablet computing devices will be made available to key personnel of Ahmedabad Traffic Police allowing them to control what information needs to be shown on each of the Electronic Information boards. Therefore, in an emergency, the traffic personnel can operate the solution from anywhere across the city. The entire cost of the ITS solution, its implementation, training and maintenance will be borne by Zero-Sum with no cost being charged to the local Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation or Traffic police. Zero-Sum will monetize the solution by using 50 percent screen space of the Electronic Information Board to display commercial advertisements. These advertisements will not be shown during any emergency and the advertisements shown will only be static advertisements without any video content so that motorists are not distracted. The system can easily expanded for implementation across an entire city and can integrate with other traffic management/ enforcement systems including parking systems, disaster management and weather systems. Beyond traffic management If used intelligently, the system can greatly help in detecting incidents – by pinpointing locations of accidents or vehicle breakdowns. This is extremely important in handling emergency situations.  The ITS solution can also help in classifying vehicles, which in turn helps in planning the road width and the space of the pavement.The same solution can be effectively used for monitoring pollution and road quality. Once the foundation for intelligent transportation systems is laid, the same can be extended for further benefits such as traveler information, road management, public transport management and incident and hazard response.

MMRDA plans to transform BKC into a ‘smart city’

September 17, 2014

MUMBAI: With a view to attract investor interests and get a premium pricing for its remaining land bank, the city’s planning authority MMRDA plans to transform the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) into a ‘smart city’.

“We want to provide such basic amenities that will transform BKC into a smart city, which will strengthen its brand value,” Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Additional Commissioner Sanjay Sethi told PTI.

He said the authority is contemplating to provide facilities like wi-fi in the region, smart parkings, street lights with focus on energy efficiency, among others.

“We have been studying on this proposal for the past six months. We are yet to finalise the plan as we are working on its nitty-gritties,” he said adding, “We are yet to decide whether to cover the entire BKC with wi-fi or some portions and how to provide energy-efficient solutions through solar power.”

Sethi said the authority is working on the feasibility of supplying excess power generated from solar lighting to the common grid and also how it can earn carbon credits, if any.

“We are studying how we can provide video analytics. Instead of just putting up CCTVs, we are studying how such a system can be integrated in such a way that in case of emergency its services can be deployed immediately,” Sethi said.

He said the upcoming International Convention Centre, being developed by Reliance Industries (RIL), will also attract investors.
“They are developing around 2,000 car parking spaces out of which 1,000 will be allotted to MMRDA. These we plan to monitor through video analytic system. Also we will be creating recreational spaces,” Sethi said.

When asked about the estimated cost of the project, he said, “It will be too premature to talk about the cost of the project now as they are yet to finalise on whether to implement the project on BOT basis or EPC or both.”

Source:Economic Times

New Motor Vehicle Act Proposes Intelligent Driving Solutions

September 15, 2014

New Motor Vehicle Act Proposes Intelligent Driving Solutions

 

Intelligent speed adaptation, driver alert control and eye drowsiness detectors are some of the features proposed in new Motor Bill that seeks to prevent at least 2 lakh road accident deaths in next five years through hefty penalties and jail-terms.

The Narendra Modi government has unveiled an ambitious ‘vision’ for reducing road fatalities by 20 per cent annually as part of the draft Road Transport & Safety Bill 2014, concerned over an alarming 1.38 lakh road accident deaths, the highest in the globe.

Motor Vehicles regulation provides for “technologies such as intelligent speed adaptation, driver alert control, eye drowsiness detectors, distance closure rate detection and green box monitoring,” as per the draft unveiled yesterday.

Driver drowsiness detection is a car safety device which prevents accidents when the driver is getting drowsy.

The Bill is aimed at bringing down fatalities in road accidents by two lakh in the first five years in a scenario where India reports around 5 lakh road accidents annually.

The Bill provides for simplified single-window automated driving licence systems including unified biometric systems to avoid licence duplication.

Among various measures to ensure road safety, the draft provides for wearing of belt by driver and passenger.

“A person is guilty of an offence if such person does not wear a seat belt, as a driver or passenger, when driving or riding in a motor vehicle on a road,” it said.

Also, the draft makes it mandatory for bus and other passengers to wear seat belts.

In case of children below 8 years it says, “except as provided by regulations, a parent or guardian of the child, or in the absence of such parent or guardian, the driver of the motor vehicle must not without reasonable excuse allow a child below the age of eight years to occupy the front seat of a motor vehicle when the vehicle is in motion.”

The Bill provides for up to Rs. 5,000 penalty for violation of provisions related to wearing seat belts while in case of head gears it is Rs. 2,500.

Seeking to come down heavily on traffic offenders, it proposes penalty of up to Rs. 3 lakh along with a minimum 7-year imprisonment for death of a child in certain circumstances, besides huge fines for driving violations.

It also proposes a fine of Rs. 5 lakh per vehicle as well as imprisonment for faulty manufacturing design, besides cancellation of licences for rash and negligent driving.

The Bill, unveiled by Road Transport and Highways Ministry for seeking suggestion from stakeholders, proposes penalty of up to Rs. 1 lakh or imprisonment for six months which may extend to one year or both in case of using vehicle in unsafe conditions.

First offence for drunk driving will attract “Rs. 25,000 fine, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months, or with both, and a six-month license suspension.” .

“Second offence within three years will result in Rs. 50,000 penalty or imprisonment for up to one year or both and a one year licence suspension.

“Any subsequent offence shall result in the cancellation of the licence, and impounding of the vehicle which may extend for 30 days,” draft Road Transport & Safety Bill 2014 said.

If school bus drivers are caught driving drunk, Rs. 50,000 fine will be imposed with imprisonment for three years while “immediate cancellation” of licence will take place in case of drivers in the age-group of 18 to 25 years involved in such incidences.

Causing death of a child in certain circumstances will result in “Rs. 3 lakh fine, and imprisonment for a term not less than 7 years” while violating traffic signal three times will result in Rs. 15,000 fine, licence cancellation for a month and a compulsory refresher training, it said.

It also provides for graded point system for imposing fines.

The ministry has sought comments from public and stakeholders on the Bill and will thereafter finalise it for presentation to Parliament and passage during the ensuing winter session.

Commenting on the Bill, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said: “Providing safe, efficient, cost effective and faster transport across the country is our mission…Our new Bill gives emphasis on E-governance to bring in transparency in the transport sector. Our new ‘golden hour’ policy will provide immediate relief to accident victims and will help save lakhs of lives.

The Golden Hour policy provides for treatment to road accident victims within one hour.

Other features include unified vehicle registration system, single National Road Transport & Multinational Coordination Authority and Goods Transport and National Freight Policy.

It encompasses provisions for safety of vehicles, including implementation of safety equipment of motor vehicles.

The Bill has been drafted in sync with the best practises of six advanced nations — US, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Germany and the UK.

It aims to ensure electronic detection and centralised offences information to identify repeat-offenders.

The Bill proposes constitution of Highway Traffic Regulation and Protection Force constituted and maintained by the state governments, for the purpose of effective policing and enforcement of traffic regulations on highways.

The Bill proposes a Motor Accident Fund for the purpose of providing compulsory insurance cover to all road users in the territory of India.

Several provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988, especially those related to penalties for violations, have not been found to be effective in checking road accidents. The Act was last amended in 2001.

 

Source:NDTV

Super cyber intelligence body soon, announces IT Minister

September 15, 2014

It will analyse Internet traffic data, real-time threat assessment

India will soon get an overarching body for cyber intelligence and security, IT and Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Saturday.

The concept note for the Rs. 800-crore project has been sent to various Ministries for inputs. “Once we receive their comments, we will make a note for the Cabinet’s consideration,” Mr. Prasad said.

A year in the works, the National Cyber Security and Coordination Centre (NCSC) will analyse Internet traffic data scanned and integrated from various gateway routers at a centralised location. It will facilitate real-time assessment of cyber-security threats and generate actionable reports for various agencies.

As a multi-agency body under the Department of Electronics and IT, the NCSC will include the National Security Council Secretariat, the Intelligence Bureau, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), the three armed forces and the Department of Telecommunications.

It is expected to subsume the work done by CERT-In as well as issue alerts in the event of a cyber-attack.

Digital IndiaMr. Prasad also mentioned a “game-changer” move to connect 2.5 lakh panchayats to the national optic fibre network over the next three years at a cost of Rs. 21,100 crore. As many as 50,000 panchayats will be linked this year, he said.

Mr. Prasad said the Union government had set up a dedicated cell to process 2.5 lakh “concrete proposals” received under the “MyGov” initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in late July. The initiative aims to enable citizen contribution in governance and invites opinions and views on important issues.

 

Source:The Hindu

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