GB Nagar RTO to suspend driving licences of repeat offenders

A survey by the Uttar Pradesh transport department, in 2023, there has been a 6.6% increase in road accidents, 4.1% increase in deaths from road accidents, and 8.4% increase in injuries from road accidents, as compared to 2022

With a view to curb the number of road accidents and related fatalities, the Uttar Pradesh transport commissioner has directed the regional transport departments to suspend the driving licenses of offenders who violate traffic rules more than three times, officials in the know of the matter said on Thursday.

A traffic personnel uses a speed gun on Parthala Signature Bridge in Sector 122, Noida, to penalise speed limit violations. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

In a letter sent to the regional transport authorities, the transport commissioner said the “the Supreme Court-appointed road safety committee recommends cancellation of driving licence if a person is found speeding, red light jumping, overloading, or drink driving, etc.”

However, a survey by the Uttar Pradesh transport department found that road accidents and deaths increased in 2023 as compared to 2022. According to the letter, there has been a 6.6% increase road accidents, 4.1% increase in deaths from road accidents, and 8.4% increase in injuries from road accidents, as compared to 2022.

According to the data provided by the Gautam Budh Nagar regional transport department (RTO), “A total of 248 driving licences were suspended since April 1, besides sending more than 3,600 letters to other state transport departments requesting the suspension of driving licences of traffic violators.”

Gautam Budh Nagar assistant regional transport enforcement 2 Dr Udit Narayan Pandey said, “The licence suspension numbers are lower in the district because we can only suspend the licences of those whose licence is registered in Gautam Budh Nagar.”

“If we find that a person is carrying the licence from another state or district, we send a letter to that state or district mentioning the traffic violations by the licence holder,” said ARTO Pandey.

“Jumping red light, speeding, violation of lane driving, drink driving, and overloading are the major violations a repeat of which will result in the driver’s licence being suspended,” said Pandey.

The road safety committee of the Supreme Court also mentioned these violations as valid cause for the licence suspension of repeat offenders.

Pandey said, “The licence is usually suspended for a period of one month.”

The Noida traffic police has started enforcement drive against vehicles from November 11, and since then, the traffic police has issued 46,090 e-fines for wrong-lane driving and 6,562 for speeding,” said deputy commissioner of police, traffic, Anil Kumar Yadav.

“On the directions of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the RTO will also conduct a road safety drive from December 15 to 31. During the drive, the transport department, in collaboration with traffic police, the health department, the pollution control department, and others, will conduct a vehicle checking drive to prevent road accidents.”

The letter was issued to transport department on December 5 after a meeting over road safety held by UP Chief Minister.

According to the Noida traffic police, the district recorded 852 road accidents between January and September this year, in which 336 people were killed and 610 individuals were injured. The data also reflects that roughly three accidents take place in Noida and Greater Noida every day, traffic officers said.

In the corresponding period in 2022, the district recorded 811 road accidents in which 325 people were killed and 602 were injured, the traffic police said

According to the traffic police, between January and September this year, they issued 1.3 million e-fines for speeding, riding without helmet, driving with seat-belt, riding tripling on a two-wheeler, wrong-side driving, jumping the red light, and drink driving.