01Background
Road safety is a national concern. In 2015, in line with its election commitments, the government decided to replace the penalty points system with a clearer one.
02Objectives
To make the rules understandable to all, target repeat offending and crack down harder on the most serious offences: driving without a valid licence, fraud, speeding, and drink- and drug-driving.
03Results
In 2015: licence suspension after six offences, new traffic police squads, more breath tests in high-risk areas and a strengthened National Road Safety Council. In 2018, the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, introduced by the Minister, provided for fixed penalty notices to be served even when the offender refuses them, reduced from six to five the number of offences leading to disqualification, penalised fraud involving licences and parking coupons and raised the fine for driving while disqualified to between Rs 50,000 and Rs 100,000. A later amendment to the law (2018-2019) introduced zero tolerance for drug-driving.
04Impact
A more dissuasive legal arsenal against repeat offenders, backed by modernised enforcement tools.