118 caught speeding in Chandigarh, set to lose licence for 3 months

All violators were challaned during special drive; action on SC road safety panel recommendations.

Challaned for speeding on Saturday, 118 people are set to lose their driving licence for three months.

Cops fined 118 drivers for speeding and 142 persons for wrong parking in different parts of the city. (HT Photo)

In all, the Chandigarh traffic police have issued 4,503 for speeding this year.During a special drive to check traffic violations on Saturday, cops fined 118 drivers for speeding and 142 persons for wrong parking in different parts of the city.

“According to the rules, we are recommending suspension of licences for three months for speeding,” said a senior traffic police officer.This is being done in compliance with recommendations of the Supreme Court road safety committee.

The committee has issued instructions to all states and UTs and their departments concerned to suspend the licence of a driver for a period not less than three months for driving at a speed exceeding the specified limit, driving under the influence of drink or drugs, using a mobile phone while driving and jumping a traffic light.

The Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety headed by justice KS Radhakrishnan has recommended strong action to check the increasing road fatalities. The committee called for urgent measures to deal with speeding, drunken driving, red light jumping, violation of helmet and seat belt laws, use of mobile phones while driving, and overloading.

The committee in November 2016 had directed chief secretaries of all states and UTs to take “stern action against the violators of the law by passing an order disqualifying the offender from holding a driving license for a specified period and also by seeking imprisonment wherever it is provided under the law.”

Radar speed guns to keep check

To check speeding on the city roads, the traffic police are installing radar speed guns equipped with night-vision cameras.The department has already tested the cameras by installing them temporarily on Madhya Marg. It works even in heavy rain, dense fog and at night. Along with the cameras, a screen, mentioning the speed of vehicles, was also set up near the Railway light point.

The speed guns will capture the image of the speeding vehicle in seconds and send it to the official concerned. The challan along with the violator’s image will be sent to the registered address.