Stronger measures mooted against traffic offence

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of the plan to improve road safety in the state, the Police Department has recommended stringent measures, including major enhancement in penalties for traffic offences and retesting of driving skills of those drivers who are involved in accidents.In its 20point action plan submitted to the Kerala Road Safety Authority (KRSA), the Police Department recommended enhancement of minimum penalty for motor vehicle offences to Rs 1000. It also suggested that deterrent fines and punishments be imposed on those involved in overspeeding and drunken driving. The KRSA is the implementing agency of the road safety programme in the state under the road safety decade project charted out by the United Nations."Most of the countries have raised the penalties for traffic offences. In countries like the UK, the average fine is a day's income of the offender. The penalty here is very low at present," DGP Jacob Punnoose told Express.But the implementation of the recommendations would not be easy task for the KRSA. "The Motor Vehicles Act is a Central act, and amendments to the Act will have to be brought by the Union Government. Since no fine can be levied unless prescribed by law, the road safety authority needs to bring the matter before the Union Government," he said.The fees compounded by way of motor vehicle offences would be remitted to the road safety fund.Retesting driving skills of drivers who are involved in accidents is another recommendation by the Police Department. Licences of such erring drivers should be cancelled till they qualify as drivers with adequate skills.The Police Department also recommended that the present Highway Police vehicles should be replaced by interceptor vehicles.