Karnataka driving rules are about to get stricter with a new point based driving license system that's about to be in place. The state is set to hold citizens a little more accountable for breaking traffic rules. Under this proposed system motorists would accumulate penalty points for different traffic violations. Once a driver reaches a prescribed limit, their license could be suspended.
The proposal, which was discussed during a joint review meeting of the Home and Transport departments in Bengaluru on September 30, is set to bring changes in traffic violations and management. The government is also looking at linking the Transport Department's Sarathi system with Bengaluru Traffic Police's e-Challan platform. This would allow officials to check a driver's license status, view previous violations and add new offences directly to the digital record.
Besides the point based system, the government will also put a strong focus on barring half helmets that barely cover the face. The officials would ban these helmets at the production stage itself by taking required actions in the factories. Riding on footpaths, unauthorised parking, jumping signals and dangerous driving would face stricter penalties. Fines for some repeat offences could go up to INR 5,000, compared with the current INR 500 penalty for certain violations.
Another interesting part of the proposal included the training. It suggested mandatory road-safety training and awareness programmes for repeat offenders facing suspension or cancellation of their driving licenses which would help spread awareness.
As of now, the government is yet to announce the final points structure or the exact threshold for suspension. A lot of legal and regulatory framework needs to be rehashed before the plan can actually be implemented.
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