Hyderabad: Telangana's traffic enforcement model that has unique penalty points for traffic violation has successfully completed one year. According to traffic officials a total 4,57,195 points were registered and 4,26,891 cases booked during the year.
Additional Commissioner of police (Traffic) Anil Kumar said, “Ten people have more than 12 penalty points. We have written to the RTA for the cancellation of their licences, and among them two person’s licences were registered/obtained in Andhra Pradesh.”
One of these has got 18 points, followed by two people with 14 points each and seven with 12 points each. The licence of a person will be cancelled if he attracts more than 12 points.
The penalty system was first introduced in Telangana, especially in Hyderabad. Professor Laxman Rao, transportation engineering, JNTU Hyderabad, said, “It was not as successful as we think. The role of the traffic cops was limited to monitoring. Without refurbishing the old roads, which are riddled with potholes, this is of no use.”
It might be applicable in countries like the United States and other European nations where there is no mixed traffic and the roads are geometrically segregated. “How can the penalty points be imposed when they failed to maintain the roads in proper condition?” Rao asked.
According to Vinod K Kanumala, of the Federation for Road Safety it was one of the proven and best solutions. “For example, for drunk driving cases there will be six penalty points. Some northern and southern states came to study this unique model. The Centre was planning to introduce this in the Motor Vehicle Act 2018. The departments should cooperate with each other to get the best results of this penalty system,” he said.
