Lucknow, 17 Oct: In a first, the Uttar Pradesh government is drafting a legislation requiring passenger insurance in order to make vertical transit systems such as lifts safer for users.
This would involve mandated yearly maintenance of elevators, registration of elevators, and legal action against entities responsible in the case of lift maintenance neglect.
Despite an increase in the number of lift accidents in the state, the state government has finally completed the draft of the UP Lifts and Escalators Act, 2023.
According to authorities, once approved by the Cabinet, the Bill may be submitted in the state legislature’s Winter Session.
“Currently, inter-departmental consultations with stakeholders are underway to discuss the draft,” said Mahesh Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Energy. “We are working hard to make the long-awaited Lifts Act a reality in the upcoming Vidhan Sabha session. We will also put the final draft of the Act in public domain to get comments and suggestions from people,” he said.
According to a draft that has already been distributed among departments such as home, housing, Awas Vikas Parishad, PWD, and others, the registration of lift producers, operators, and users would be a mandatory process.
“One positive feature that we have included in the draft is mandatory third-party insurance for passengers, who will be entitled to monetary compensation in the event of a lift accident. The building owner will provide insurance coverage,” stated Anupam Shukla, Special Secretary for Energy.
He stated that because the majority of lift accidents were caused by poor maintenance, efforts were being made to effectively address this issue by enacting stringent provisions, such as a jail term of up to three months or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both, in each offence, as provided under Section 146 of the Electricity Act, 2003.
“A mandatory annual maintenance contract (AMC) has been proposed, and lifts discovered operating without one will be sealed. District Magistrates would be granted full authority under relevant provisions of the CrPC and IPC to bring criminal charges against anyone involved for any act of carelessness,” he claimed.
According to the plan, the Electricity Safety Directorate would create a webpage to monitor elevators that do not have valid AMC. In addition to having an operator in each such elevator, malls, hotels, movie halls, and government offices will be expected to conduct a monthly examination of their own lifts and maintain a logbook on wear and tear, maintenance, and so on. There may also be certain particular provisions in the Act for the convenience of individuals with disabilities who use lifts.
Before drafting the Lifts Act, the government, according to Shukla, reviewed the Lifts Acts of other states like as Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
“Our focus is on keeping the process and provisions as simple as possible to avoid any ‘licence raj’ complications to creep in,” he told reporters.
