Jumping signal to cost you licence

New Delhi: After senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s death in a road accident earlier this week, the Centre appears to have gone into overdrive to stiffen the Motor Vehicles Act.

Suspension of driving licenses after three offences of jumping traffic signals is being considered.

Surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday that an amended law, incorporating provisions in force in the US, Canada, Britain, Germany, Japan and Singapore, will be ready in 15 days.

“If anyone violates road rules more than three times, his driving license will be suspended for six months. After the fourth violation, the license will be cancelled,” he said.

The minister said he will call a meeting of the Road Safety Council later this month, where all state transport ministers will discuss the new draft law. “The new Motor Vehicles Act will come into force in one year,” he added.

In a bid to minimise human interference in enforcing the traffic rules, Mr Gadkari said all towns with a population of over a million will have electronic vehicle monitoring systems, backed by CCTV cameras, as in Singapore.

The Centre also plans to seek major changes in the design of large vehicles, under which small vehicles often come, in a bid to decrease fatalities on highways.

Amid demands for a CBI probe into the death of Gopinath Munde, Mr Gadkari said that the Prime Minister will decide the course of action on the matter.

“Yesterday, I spoke to the Prime Minister and Munde’s family. It is the Prime Minister who will decide the proper course of action on the matter and truth will prevail,” Mr Gadkari said.

Mr Gadkari said if there is any doubt in the minds of people it should be cleared.

Munde, a popular backward class leader from Maharashtra, died due to shock and hemorrhage following injuries to his neck and liver after a road accident in Central Delhi on June 3.