Bengaluru
In a bid to combat reckless traffic rule violations leading to serious accidents, Bangalore’s traffic police have taken a stringent legal approach by suspending the driving licenses (DL) of errant drivers. Over the past three years, a total of 9,260 drivers’ licenses have been recommended for suspension to the transport department, with 2,016 licenses already suspended. The city grapples with an alarming average of at least two serious accidents daily, resulting in numerous fatalities and injuries. Negligence, overspeeding, and drunk driving have been identified as the primary causes behind these accidents, according to police investigations. To address this issue and hold traffic violators accountable, the police have initiated criminal proceedings against drivers who flout traffic rules and endanger the lives of others. Despite the police’s proactive stance in recommending DL suspensions for repeat offenders, concerns have been raised about the Transport Department’s response to these recommendations. It has been alleged that the department has not taken these suspension recommendations seriously and has shown leniency toward guilty drivers by refraining from enforcing suspensions. This lax approach has raised questions about why more than seven thousand DL suspension recommendations remain unacted upon out of those submitted in the past three years. As a result, some drivers with a history of traffic violations have continued their reckless behavior without facing consequences. The situation underscores the need for stricter enforcement and collaboration between law enforcement agencies to ensure road safety and reduce accidents caused by habitual traffic offenders.
