In a significant order, the Supreme Court directed 23 states and seven union territories to file compliance reports indicating implementation of the Motor Vehicle law’s recent provisions besides rules on electronic monitoring and road safety measures. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan noted six states and a UT, namely, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Delhi, had filed their compliance reports.
The top court on September 2, 2024 passed directions on the implementation of Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Act read with Rule 167A of the Motor Vehicles Rules which allow authorities to electronically monitor speeding vehicles. The bench has now asked the remaining 23 states and seven UTS to file their compliance reports which will be shared with the Supreme Court committee on road safety.
The apex court panel, in turn, would look into all aspects and provide its inputs which could be considered by the Centre in framing the standard operating procedure on electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety measures, the bench said.
Senior advocate Gaurav Agrawal, assisting the bench as an amicus curiae, informed the bench that six states had filed their reports and the necessary directions may be passed with regard to them. The bench said it would consider the aspect on March 25 and its panel on road safety, in the meantime, could seek assistance of the six states while deliberating upon the reports.
Section 136A, introduced in 2021 in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, aims to deploy advanced technologies such as speed cameras, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, speed guns, body-worn cameras, and automatic number plate recognition systems to ensure better traffic management and enforcement of traffic laws.
