Transport Dept cancels 22 tipplers' driving licences

The transport department of the Delhi administration has cancelled driving licences of 22 drunken drivers, in a harsh step which appears to be the first in the city to discipline tipplers.

Driving licences of 89 other drivers, who failed the breath analyser tests more than once, were suspended for one year. 

“We had been considering some stringent steps. After traffic police gave us the list of repeat offenders, we went ahead with cancellation and suspension to send a strong message,” said a transport department official.  

The cancellation and suspension order by Motor Licence Officer (Headquarters) Rajesh Kumar will ensure that the offenders will not be able to get duplicate licences made from any other tranport office.

Those drivers whose licence were cancelled topped the shame list as they were prosecuted for drunken driving thrice over a short period of time. The other group of drunken drivers whose licence has been suspended committed the offence twice, said an official. 

Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Muktesh Chander said: “Such tough measures against repeat offenders are the need of the hour.”

It was under his direction that the traffic police had sent a longlist of people who were caught driving vehicles under the influence of liquor.
A transport department official said in August the traffic police sent the list of 89 repeat offenders prosecuted twice for drunken driving.

“We issued letters to these drivers and sought explanation from them on why their licence should not be suspended for an act of endangering the safety of public on road,” he said.

While these 89 drivers were given 10 days to respond to the notice, their names were also posted on the transport department’s website, he added. This year a total of 111 drivers have been booked far indulging in frequent drunken driving. 
“All of them have been penalised under the Motor Vehicle Act section 19 (1)(f),” he said.

He said the transport department has got from traffic police another list of drivers who habitually indulge in drunken drive and have been caught committing the offence more than twice.