Delhi to implement SC committee directions on road safety

NEW DELHI: Delhi Traffic Police will start implementing from this Tuesday the Supreme Court-appointed committee's directions on road safety, including suspension of driving licences for overspeeding and drunk driving, as it gears up to tackle violations with an iron hand.

"Delhi Traffic Police will start implementation of the Supreme Court committee on road safety, strictly from December 15, and driving licences of violators of traffic rules will be seized on the spot and suspended for at least three months, for offences like over speeding, drunken driving, using mobile phones while driving and carrying passengers in goods vehicles," Special Commissioner (Traffic) Muktesh Chander said.

Besides, fines for first offence and subsequent offences in case of overspeeding will be Rs 400 and Rs 1,000 respectively, while in case of drunk driving challans would be issues, the officer said.

In case of drunk driving, court challans will be issued and such drivers could end up paying a fine of upto Rs 2,000 besides serving jail term of upto 6 months, on being sentenced by magistrate on their first offence.

On subsequent offences of drunk driving, the accused will pay fine of upto Rs 3,000 besides being sent behind bars for a period of upto 2 years, he said.

Use of mobile phone while driving will attract a fine of Rs 1,000 on first offence, while the amount of fine will be raised to Rs 2,000 on repeated offences, Chander said.

Not wearing a helmet and seat belt as well as carrying passengers in goods vehicles will also attract punishment with fine of Rs 100 on first offence and Rs 300 on subsequent offences, he added.

Delhi Traffic Police is likely to be the first in the country to implement the directions of the apex court- appointed three-member committee chaired by Justice KS Radhakrishnan.

The committee has also directed all the states and Union Territories to implement its directions and submit their reports within three months from September 1.