traffic police propose zero-tolerance zones and stringent punishment for violators in an attempt to make city roads safer.
If the traffic police’s proposal is approved, you will soon earn a negative point each time you violate traffic rules. The police hope that the new system would bring a change in the city’s road culture.
As per the proposal, any motorist violating traffic rules will earn a negative point depending on gravity of the offence.
Vivek Phansalkar, joint commissioner of police (traffic), said: “We forwarded the proposal to the director general of police. The suggestions have been made by a working committee set up by additional director general of police (traffic) Vijay Kamble. If approved, the system will be followed across Maharashtra but will first be functional in at least nine commissionerates, including Mumbai.”
The traffic police said they would first develop a model junction where at least 20 to 25 policemen will be posted from 8am to10pm. The junction will be a zero-tolerance zone where any motorist found flouting even minor traffic norms will be penalised.
The police are mulling having the model at either JVPD junction in Juhu or at the airport junction in Vile Parle. These junctions would be monitored closely and there would be proper signage, signal and no illegal parking. After all these are in place, the police will implement the point-penalty system.
An offender will be slapped with one penalty fine if he stops vehicles on zebra crossings, jumps signals, parks in no-parking areas, cuts lane, has fancy number plate, rides two-wheelers without helmet, drives without seat belt and so on (offences under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act).
While violation of speed limit (under section 183 of MV Act) will get three points, dangerous driving (section 184 MV Act) will earn five points. Drink driving (section 185 MV Act) will invite the maximum number of penalty with 10 points.
Phansalkar added that all these points would lead to punishment for offenders. Motorists with 10 negative points will face suspension of their licence for three months. Those with 15 would have their licence suspended for six months. Motorists with 20 points will have their licence suspended permanently. If a motorist has 30 points, the vehicle’s permit would be cancelled. While those with 40 points will have their vehicle registration cancelled for three months, those with 50 will have face permanent cancellation of their vehicle registration.
“If motorists who have been penalised under point-penalty system want their licence back, they will first have to undergo a month-long strict training at the Regional Transport Office. Only if it is observed that he has followed all the norms, will he be issued a licence,” Phansalkar added.
He added that eventually they plan to have an automatic CCTV system which would capture the registration number of the errant motorists’ vehicles and bikers and generate penalty receipt (challan) which will be sent to his or her email address or mobile phone number. For this, it has to be made mandatory that the RTO verifies all details when a person applies for a licence. Like in the case of passports, the RTO will be required to verify that the address given by the application is genuine and licences would be posted to the applicants’ address.
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