Motor Vehicle Department doubles punitive classes

Kochi: Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) has been forced to double the punitive “Road Safety  Awareness Classes” doled out to traffic offenders thanks to increase in traffic violation cases.

“We’ve increased the classes to two from a single class per month as the drive has resulted in more offenders being booked for a variety of offences that range from helmet-less ride to causing mishaps. The accidents are reported by traffic police and the offenders need to attend the two-hour classes while the traffic violations are mostly registered by MVD’s mobile enforcement wing,” said Vinod Kumar N, MVI, who himself is one of the ‘teachers’.

Earlier, the road safety awareness class was scheduled on every fourth Saturday at Naipunya School, Thrikkakara. Now the MVD is holding an additional class every third Saturday too at Choice School, Tripunithura.

“The programme was launched three months ago. Initially, nearly 50 people attend the classes on an average but now the figures have doubled. This means 200 people will be given road safety tips from this month onwards,” the officer said.

A total of 1,050 people have undergone the classes in the district so far. Initially, erring bus drivers were asked to attend the two-hour-long classes but later all offenders were meted out the ‘punishment’.

The classes mainly deal with safe driving practices, basic traffic rules, meaning of sign boards and trauma care among other things.