Pune, 12th February 2024: The Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials have reported a noteworthy surge in driving licence suspensions for traffic offences during the current fiscal year, surpassing the figures recorded in the previous year. Between April of last year and January of this year, a total of 750 licences were suspended, marking an increase from the 564 licences suspended in the fiscal year 2022-23.
While the number of driving licence suspensions has risen, it still remains relatively low when compared to the overall tally of traffic violations documented by the traffic police. In the calendar year 2023 (January to December), a staggering 10.33 lakh cases of traffic violations were registered.
In line with directives from the state transport department, driving licences face suspension for a duration of 3 to 6 months for six specified offences. Offences such as drunk driving warrant a 6-month suspension, while speeding, rash driving, signal jumping, talking on phones while driving, and overloading in goods vehicles or transporting passengers in non-transport vehicles result in a 3-month suspension. Notably, in 2023, traffic police recorded 66,733 cases of signal jumping, 14,433 cases of wrong-side driving, and 11,739 cases of talking on phones while driving.
Senior officers from the traffic police highlighted the alarming concern of residents using mobile phones while driving, a trend leading to a significant number of licence suspensions. DCP (traffic) Shashikant Borate expressed concern about the potential for multiple accidents due to diverted driver attention, emphasizing the vigilance of police in taking action against such offenders.
A senior traffic officer said that a suspended licence holds the same implications as having no licence at all. He emphasized the need for individuals with suspended licences to refrain from driving to avoid legal consequences.
