Pune RTO suspends 879 licences for six months

Action has been taken against violators for breaching speed limits and offences ranging from rash driving, speaking on mobile phone while riding or driving, not wearing seat belts etc

The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) has suspended as many as 879 driving licences for rash and negligent driving in the last ten months, said officials.

The RTO authorities have also recommended permanent cancellation of driving licences of some of the violators who have been found to have indulged in serious offences which resulted in fatalities. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Action has been taken against violators for breaching speed limits and offences ranging from rash driving, speaking on mobile phone while riding or driving, not wearing seat belts etc.

The authorities have also recommended permanent cancellation of driving licences of some of the violators who have been found to have indulged in serious offences which resulted in fatalities.

Sanjeev Bhor, Pune Regional Transport (RTO) officer, said, “We have suspended 879 licences from January 1 till November 9 on careful study and analysis of the proposal sent by the traffic branch.”

The law stipulates that licence suspension means that the offenders cannot drive vehicles for three to six months, depending on the period of suspension. If caught driving, they can be fined ₹5,000 and their vehicles can be impounded under the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act.

The violators can also be prosecuted for a criminal offence under the Indian Penal Code for rash and negligent driving without a valid licence.

According to the RTO office, the action has been taken after it received recommendations from traffic aimed at making Pune roads safer by enforcing traffic discipline and instilling fear of law amongst the violators.

Vijay Kumar Magar, DCP (traffic), said that the department had submitted the proposal to the RTO authorities.

“The proposal is specific to those violators who have been booked for being involved in two or more violations during a month. We have recommended the RTO authorities to suspend their driving licences,” said Magar.

Bhor said, “The proposal seeking license suspension has been received from the traffic department as we suspend their licences either for fifteen days or for six months duration.”

“If an offender is found violating the traffic rules thrice during four months, then we recommend license cancellation as part of a strict action process. Hence the drivers must be careful that they don’t break the law so that no action will be taken against them,” he said.