Automobile Desk: The Central Government now seems to be taking a tough stance regarding the continuously increasing accidents on the country's roads and ignoring traffic rules. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced a comprehensive and fundamental change in the traffic system. The government is preparing to implement 'Negative Point System' in the country soon. Under this new rule, drivers who repeatedly break road safety rules will not only be fined heavily, but their driving license and vehicle registration certificate (RC) can also be cancelled.
Addressing the annual conference of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the Union Minister made it clear that merely issuing challans is not reducing road accidents, hence it has become mandatory to take strict steps at the administrative level. Under the proposed system, whenever a driver commits a mistake like breaking signal, overspeeding or careless driving, points will be deducted from his driving record and vehicle documents. This process will work on a graded basis. As soon as the deducted points of a person cross a prescribed limit, the concerned authority will get the legal right to suspend or cancel his license forever.
The government has not only kept strictness in this new system, but has also made provision for incentives for disciplined drivers who follow the rules and regulations. Those whose driving track record is completely clean and better will be given a direct discount in the vehicle insurance premium by the insurance companies. Apart from this, they may also get other financial benefits. The government intends to create an ecosystem where responsible drivers are rewarded and habitual rule breakers can be reined in.
Expressing concern over the statistics of road accidents, Gadkari said that every year about 5 lakh accidents take place in the country, in which about 1.80 lakh people lose their lives. The saddest aspect of these is that most of those who lost their lives are youth in the age group of 18 to 36 years. To improve this situation, major improvements are also being made in vehicle safety standards. 'Bharat NCAP 2.0' will be implemented from October 2027, under which crash testing and safety features of vehicles will be thoroughly evaluated. According to Gadkari, safety testing of vehicles in India is very economical compared to global standards, where globally it costs up to Rs 2.5 crore, whereas in India this process is completed at a much lower cost.
With the aim of improving driving skills, 1,600 new driving training centers are being established across the country. Of these, 24 centers have started operations and work on 112 other centers is in the final stages.
During the conference, important information was also shared regarding air pollution caused by old vehicles. A new emission control device has been designed for BS-IV category vehicles. The successful trial of this device, which costs around Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000, has been completed. By installing it near the silencer or exhaust system in old vehicles, the emissions coming out of them will come at par with the new BS-VI standards to a great extent. With India becoming the third largest passenger vehicle market in the world, the government's emphasis is now on making roads safe through state-of-the-art technology and strict rules.
