The directive comes through a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued to states and UTs last week, following Supreme Court orders on stricter traffic law enforcement. The SOP outlines that traffic enforcement personnel will be empowered to confiscate driving licences of offenders and forward them to the licensing authority for possible disqualification. States have also been told to establish transparent procedures for document seizure.
To strengthen accountability and data-driven enforcement, the ministry said a mechanism is being developed to record driver behaviour and link it to insurance premiums, licence issuance and renewal, and even suspension or cancellation of vehicle registrations. “The feasibility of graded penalties based on the number of offences and challans is also being examined,” the ministry said in the SOP.
The document also proposes that highway contractors be held accountable for crashes caused by poor project implementation. Under the new plan, contractors working under the build-operate-transfer (BOT-Toll) model could face a penalty of Rs 25 lakh if two or more accidents occur on any 500-metre stretch within an accounting year. The penalty would increase if such incidents recur in two out of three consecutive years. Similar provisions are likely to be extended to other highway construction models as well.
States and UTs have been instructed to identify repeat offenders using electronic enforcement systems and impose stricter fines and penalties. They have also been asked to ensure crash investigations are objective and evidence-based, using physical evidence, witness accounts, and digital data. Each crash report must include recommended corrective measures for infrastructure or enforcement gaps.
Additionally, the SOP calls on states and UTs to set up at least one dedicated road safety wing within their transport departments to ensure coordinated and structured efforts in improving road safety across India.With inputs from TOI
