[Nilesh5417]

Full news here

While the laws exist, such an implementation will make the whole processes more transparent and effective since even a lay man should be able to understand it. Hope it leads to increased compliance to the traffic rules!

Hyderabad has launched a 12 point Traffic Penalty System to bring traffic violators to book. The Government of Telangana has issued a G.O.Ms No.26 under which a system of 12 points of traffic offences has been listed. The system will work in addition to regular fines that traffic offenders will have to pay alongside being docked for specific points for each traffic offence.

Failure to comply with each of these 12 points of traffic regulations will find driver’s license cancelled. Already implemented in Hyderabad, with 1,000 traffic violators booked since its implementation, this system of streamlining and penalizing traffic offenders is expected to go nationwide.

[jayantvs]

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

While the laws exist, such an implementation will make the whole processes more transparent and effective since even a lay man should be able to understand it. Hope it leads to increased compliance to the traffic rules!

This is a great initiative. This will definitely instill some discipline among the drivers/riders and they will be more careful before breaking law and help keeping some idiots off road.

This should be implemented in other parts of the country as well where there is a rampant law breaking attitude

[dheepak10]

This system came into existence on 1-Aug.

Did it make a difference? No.

There are still so many signals and junction in prime traffic areas where a single police person cannot be seen and people continuing to do whatever they please.

Funny thing is, if someone is caught for an offence, they ask to pay challan on spot - There is no question of issuing a challan and letting the person go. So, there's still an option of giving a lesser amount as bribe and getting away. Happened with my colleague just 2 days back.

And where are they capturing penalty points against? Probably license number.

There are so many folks whose license are from other states and the RTO's website will not have a record on those.

Even if they still capture the penalty points against license number, I can still get a new license when I'm reaching the limit for license suspension. They are not going to spot duplicate instances of licenses.

Well, they have to start somewhere and that is having enough policemen in all key signals to enforce traffic rules. These fancy things are not going to make a difference and will be forgotten in 2 months time

[DuHasstMich]

There is a solution to this, already present in US/Europe, simply link car insurance to Driver's license. Insurance companies to ensure to capture the license# of the driver who is expected to be driving the car.
The higher the penalty points accumulated through challans, increase the insurance premiums accordingly.

Penalty for driving an un-insured car to be very high, either jail-time or 25K.

[nitishk]

Originally Posted by dheepak10

Even if they still capture the penalty points against license number, I can still get a new license when I'm reaching the limit for license suspension. They are not going to spot duplicate instances of licenses.

Like you said implementation is the key. The bottom line is that its an initiative in the right direction.

As for duplicate licences, if I am not mistaken Centre is planning to link Aadhar with driving licences so it will weed out all the duplicate ones.

[jayantvs]

Originally Posted by nitishk

Like you said implementation is the key. The bottom line is that its an initiative in the right direction....

Originally Posted by dheepak10

This system came into existence on 1-Aug......

It is illegal to have multiple driving licenses, linking with Aadhaar may help.

They can also capture penalty points against the DL as well as the car/bike registration number. You cannot make rules for fools they will find a way to break it anyhow but there are also sensible people in this country.

Yes, there need to be enough policeman to check these offences but at least they can implement this in major areas.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by DuHasstMich

There is a solution to this, already present in US/Europe, simply link car insurance to Driver's license. Insurance companies to ensure to capture the license# of the driver who is expected to be driving the car.
The higher the penalty points accumulated through challans, increase the insurance premiums accordingly.

Penalty for driving an un-insured car to be very high, either jail-time or 25K.

True, I once had a small speeding fine in Kansas City, USA. Didn't think much of it, cost $20-30 or so. But a few weeks later I got a Letter from my insurance company, increasing my insurance fee considerably for the next two years!

Not sure of all states have this system. In Europe it differs widely country by country, but all are moving that way. In the Netherlands the penalty system only applies to people who obtained their DL in recent times. So all my kids are and will be under the penalty system, but me and my wife never!

Some insurance companies offer you a little blox box that you need to install in your car. It records your driving style and the premium of your insurance is adjusted accordingly. Cautious driver, never speeding, smooth acceleration and smooth braking can get you a big discount. Premium is adjusted automatically every month!

Driving without a valid DL is considered a pretty serious offense. Have a look at this for the UK for instance:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-high...s#penaltytable

Although it's easy to critisize these sort of initiatives, I still believe, you have to start somewhere. I'm not so sure how effective it can be implemented and executed, but still.

When it comes to road safety, there isn't a single golden bullet. You have to take multiple actions, but from a legistative, enforcement and attitude point of view. As long as somebody can boost to his/her friends/family to be driving around without a valid driver license, you have a long way to go. A big part of road safety is around what society at large feels is acceptable behaviour or not.

In the Netherlands the number of drivers caught above the legal limit for drinking has dropped 85%. But it took a decade! I can honestly say that twenty years ago, drinking and driving was not an issue. Everybody did it. Every company do would see booze flowing freely. That is not the case anymore. Through two decades of PR campaigning, new and more strict legistlation drinking and driving is something that you simple don't do anymore. Other then the penalties and the points on your license it is simply not acceptable behaviour.

So good move Hyderabad, hopefully much more to come.

Jeroen

[GTO]

Definitely a step in the right direction . A points system with dire consequences for repeat offenders & linking it to your car insurance premiums will make everyone disciplined overnight. Only strict law enforcement works in India - example 1 & example 2.

[centaur]

I seriously hope they also include at least 0.5 points for driving in High beam in city limits. That too, is a hazard in a way.

Assume point 3 includes helmets for pillions as well.

[avingodb]

Learning from China. Megacities in China have this system of 12 points penalty.

But there is one difference. The cost of getting a new licence in China is prohibitively expensive at nearly Rs. 1,00,000 equivalent and time consuming having to undergo all the medical and legal processes. That is if you can get past the waiting list. Unless we implement such policies, success may be limited.

[DuHasstMich]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Some insurance companies offer you a little blox box that you need to install in your car. It records your driving style and the premium of your insurance is adjusted accordingly.

This sounds like an excellent idea to pilot on commercial vehicles, who are the biggest offenders, and then gradually introduced to private vehicles as well.

Will entirely eliminate the need of policemen trying to catch overspeeding, and they can primarily focus on traffic control and flow.

[extreme_torque]

And no way of making sure that you are fit to drive aka strict licencing requirements? The point is there is no one solution to the driving discipline problem in India. The solution is not just strict licencing or enforcement or higher fines or scientifically designed roads, its all of this and more.

In India we are given to understand that driving is a fundamental right if you can afford a motorized vehicle. Its not. It is a privilege and it comes with certain responsibilities and following rules is one of them. Following rules in isolation is not going to work either because we need to make sure that following rules in pragmatic than dogmatic. An example - our traffic lights are dumb. In every country the signals are fitted with some sort of motion detection which means if the signal detects motion on my side and not the others, it turn to green quickly. So you have basically killed the incentive to jump that traffic light because it is going to turn to green quick. What happens in India? A signal which is 180 seconds during the day, it still the same when there is no traffic. Why would I stand and waste 180 seconds of my time when there is no traffic from the other side which is green.

The point is that our government as always, always looks for shortcuts that make a citizen's life harder hoping that it will help straighten him up but the fact is that is not how it works and that is how it should be made to work. Rant over. My 2 cents.

[vinu_h]

I really hope this is implemented soon. I have been in Hyderabad for 10 months now. Road infrastructure here is good, but, the part I hate the most is that 2 and 4 wheeler vehicles frequently come in the wrong direction and expect you to make way for them. This is particularly visible in Begumpet where I now live. Since Begumpet airport has been restricted to VIP use only, there is quite a bit of traffic police coverage in this area. Yet, this goes on unchecked.

[luvDriving]

It is a positive step and good initiative, pretty much everyone will agree on it. The main question is - how much of an impact will this make to the daily traffic or will it be another snafu ?

Maybe some individuals will begin stopping at some traffic signals instead of running them in fear of this point system. A larger group will not pay heed to any of this and will continue to use and abuse the traffic laws according to their needs.

The basics of following laws comes from the sense of greater good or as we know it - civic sense. This is something that has to be instilled in individual minds and then it will become a habit. Alas this is something which is very much lacking here. And that is precisely why, the children need to see their parents follow the traffic rules and in general show a sense of empathy towards others. And this has to go on for generations. Only then, say 30 years later, will we see a majority group of people showing respect for the law of the land.

Until then, it will be like the saying in marathi - "Navyache nau diwas" - meaning any new thing lasts for nine days. Once people find out that the tiger is toothless and clawless or that it catches only those who do not feed it, things will slide back to 'normal'.