Driving licences to be cancelled within 15 days of receiving police alerts
The police crackdown against drunken driving has received a shot in the arm with the Transport Department deciding to cancel the driving licences (DLs) of offenders within 15 days of receiving an alert from the traffic police.
The direction has been given by transport commissioner K Amaranarayana after the police department highlighted how some RTOs were taking too much time — sometimes months or years — to initiate action against offenders.
The commissioner told Bangalore Mirror that each and every RTO in the state will get alerts on cancellation of DLs of repeat offenders, who will be prohibited from applying afresh for a DL.
“The Additional Commissioner of Police (traffic) brought to my notice that some RTOs were taking considerable time initiating action against violators. There is a need to speed up the process. Repeat offenders who drink and drive should not touch the vehicle again. All RTOs have been directed to initiate action against offenders within 15 days on receiving intimation from the police. Earlier, some of the RTOs were taking even years to act on the recommendations of the police, but this will not happen in future.”
The Transport Department intends to complete the whole process of issuing notices to repeat offenders, going through their explanation and police records, and deciding on their licence cancellation within the targeted 15 days.
ALERT TO OTHER STATES TOO
The transport commissioner told Bangalore Mirror that cancellation of DLs is nothing but slapping offenders with lifetime bans on driving vehicles. Once the DLs are cancelled, offenders cannot apply for fresh DLs to any RTO in the state.
“Once the DLs are cancelled, the list of repeat offenders will be sent to all RTOs in the state. If at all the repeat offender tries to apply for a fresh DL, RTOs on the alert can block him/her,” the transport commissioner said.
In the last three months, the city police have filed 15,150 drunken driving cases against offenders. In January 2014, 2,568 cases were booked, 6,444 cases in February, and 6,138 cases in March. The official said that RTOs in the city have received recommendations for suspension or cancellation of DLs of 997 violators, and these are now being processed.
Amaranarayana also said that the Transport Department will inform their counterparts in other states about repeat offenders caught with licences issued outside the state.
Additional Commissioner of Police (traffic) B Dayananda said, “Once the RTOs receive recommendations from the jurisdictional police, the licensing authorities can issue notice and seek explanation from the violators. Once they receive the explanation, and after going through the records provided by the police, they will act.”
He clarified that suspension of licences will be applicable only for first-time offenders, and its duration will be decided by the RTOs. “For repeat offenders, RTOs will cancel the DLs,” Dayananda said.
