Traffic offenders may lose DL forever, won't get it elsewhere

Traffic violators will lose their licence forever and will not be able to get it even in any other state if the recent announcement by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is anything to go by.

Already, the transport department in Karnataka has issued a directive that the driving licences recommended by the traffic police should be suspended within a fortnight of completing all the documentation work.

However, with the new Act to be introduced within a month, the department is also looking at sterner action: cancelling the driving licence in accordance with the Union ministry’s directive and ensuring that the offender is not even able to obtain a DL from any other state.

Officials in the department said the announcement by the Centre that it would enact a Central umbrella Act incorporating the various state rules, the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, and the Carriage by Road Act and Rules, 2007, had been a long overdue step in checking the increasing traffic violations which cause accidents.

Statistics show that more than five lakh people are injured and about 1.4 lakh killed in about five lakh accidents every year in the country.

In a recent crackdown on the offenders in Bangalore, on the recommendation of the traffic police, the department suspended 374 driving licences for drink-driving and 2,380 more for other traffic offences.

Suspension recommended

As per the information available with the department, the Bangalore traffic police had recommended the suspension of a total of 831 licences for drink-driving and 3,466 more for other traffic offences.

In the case of the remaining 457 DLs for drink-driving and 1,086 for other offences, the department has served notices as is the procedure before the licences are suspended, if necessary.

Meanwhile, officials in the department said they would attend a meeting of the National Road Safety Council next month, where all state governments would come together to discuss the issues related to the new umbrella act which would take into consideration the latest international standards after a study by the Union ministry concerned.

The Karnataka government will send suggestions to the ministry on the proposed Act.

The ministry has asked all state governments as well as the general public to write to it by e-mail on what could be incorporated in the Act to make it more effective.