Kerala: Social Service And Training Mandatory For Drivers Flouting Traffic Norms

The decision was taken close on the heels of the death of nine people in an accident due to rash driving by driver of a private bus, which hit a state-run KSRTC bus in Palakkad district on October 5.

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New Delhi: In the wake of the death of nine people in a road accident in Kerala, the state government on Thursday decided to make social service and training mandatory for the drivers who violate traffic rules, news agency PTI reported. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Transport Minister Antony Raju.  

According to the government decision, the drivers involved in critical road accidents and those who are caught drunk driving should be mandatorily engaged in service of not less than three days at trauma care centres and palliative care units.

Apart from suspending their licenses, the drivers flouting the traffic rules would also have to undergo a mandatory three-day training at the Institute of Driver Training and Research (IDTR) at Edappal.

It is to be noted that the decision was taken close on the heels of the death of nine people in an accident that took place due to rash driving by driver of a private bus, which hit a state-run KSRTC bus in Palakkad district on October 5.

As per the government decision, the erring drivers of contract carriages such as tourist buses, state carriages plying on routes and goods carriage, who violate the provisions of Motor Vehicle Act would have to undergo the mandatory service-cum-training programme in the initial phase, the Minister's office said.

The meeting also decided to take strict action against two-wheelers that are illegally modified and fitted with horns, thereby, flouting traffic norms.

Notably, so far as many as 4,472 cases have been registered under the "Focus-3 special drive, launched on October 8 to detect violations of the contract and stage carriages.

Out of them, 253 vehicles were found to be modified, 414 found to be tampering with speed governor and 2792 carriages were fitted with illegal lights, the Minister’s office said.

Fitness certificates of 263 vehicles, registration of seven vehicles and license of 108 drivers have been cancelled, it added.