Telangana: No data to back penalty rule

Hyderabad: The transport department has a major task in maintaining a database of driving licence holders to implement the newly amended Motor Vehicle Rule 45 (a) under which erring drivers will be docked penalty points. As per the government orders issued on Monday, the transport department should have a comprehensive track record of motorists and share it with the traffic police and other enforcement teams.

Experts say that the implementation problems may face impediments as there was no record of motorists who obtained driving licences before 2012; all they have is the name of the licence holder and address. Retired additional commissioner (Transport) and transport expert C.L.N. Gandhi said there should be an integrated server with the RTA to share the database. “It is not a big task but the coordination should be continued,” he said.

The transport department has been insisting on motorists providing mobile numbers while registering vehicles and issuing driving licences since 2012. Experts say that in such cases motorists can avoid suspension of driving licence and roam free. Traffic police says that by strengthening the new system on the linkage of Aadhaar and driving licence will assist them in such cases.

Joint transport commissioner J. Pandurang Naik said traffic violators would not be able avoid the surveillance of enforcement teams. “We are implementing the cancellation of licence system in cases of fatal accidents and drunk driving. Now, we will cancel licences based on the penalty points,” he said. Mr Naik said the decision taken by the government would help reduce traffic violations apart from controlling offences which are committed using vehicles, like chain snatching and bike racing.