Licence to be suspended after 3rd offence; violators will pay fine through banks

The state government has decided to put in place throughout the state a new computerised system for maintenance of data on holders of driving licences, and their vehicles.

The system will also be linked to the computer systems of some banks to enable driving licence holders to pay fines and traffic-related taxes through any branch of the participating banks.

The system will also maintain a record of the number of times a vehicle owner has violated traffic rules and the fines he has paid. New traffic rules are on the anvil which, if implemented, will lead to a licence being suspended if its holder commits three infringements of traffic rules.

An official at the regional transport office (RTO) in Ahmedabad said the infringements that could invite suspension of licence include all the basic traffic violations such as not wearing a helmet or the car seatbelt. The official further said that data, dating back to 1999, about driving licence holders and their vehicles was already stored on computers.

For the effective working of the system, the government also plans to make it mandatory for all motor vehicle owners to have new digital driving licences. Those still using the paper driving licences that were issued many years back will have to get chip-based digital licences in their place. And even those people who have the ‘smart card’ driving licences, will also have to get the new digital licences. A source said the software installed in the ‘smart card’ microchips cannot be used to pay fines and taxes at banks. 

Kapil Dave/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication