One of three driving licenses in India bogus

Danger is lurking at every nook and corner on Indian roads, given that every third driver may be holding a fake driving license. According to an official of the Ministry of Road Transport and National Highways, it has collated data of about 18 crore licences and an estimated 5.4 crore of them fall under the ‘bogus’ category, which need to be checked. 

According to an agency report, the ministry is bringing the Road Transport and Safety Bill as key to make Indian roads safer. According to the provisions of the bill those found to be driving with 

fake licences will be jailed for up to a year in addition to a hefty penalty of Rs 10,000 – up from the current penalty provision of Rs 500 and a maximum jail term of three months.

In case of juvenile drivers, the owner of the vehicle or the driver’s guardian will face stricter penalties of up to three years in jail and fine of up to Rs 20,000, while their vehicle registration certificate may also be cancelled. “We are hopeful that the Bill would get passed in the next session of Parliament with states on board now on this matter as the subject falls in the concurrent list,” Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari was quoted by agency reports.

In case of grievous hurt or death caused by the juvenile’s act of driving, the driver would be sentenced to Children’s Home and there will be “no provision of bail” if the driver has been previously booked  for any offence under the Motor Vehicles Act.

Gadkari said the Bill has been facing delays due to opposition from “vested interests” in Regional Transport Offices who are opposed to transparency and computerisation. “In India, 30 per cent of the licences are bogus. We need to check it. We are going to start an online system where computerised tests will be conducted to obtain driving licences. Every one – whether a politician, an official or a celebrity – will have to take the test to get the licence. There will be complete transparency,” Gadkari said.

Terming the Road Transport and Safety Bill as key to making Indian roads safer, Gadkari said an estimated 1.5 lakh people die every year in the country in road accidents and the proposed law will overhaul the entire system including about issuance of driving licences. Besides computerisation, the government also plans to set up 5,000 new driving centres, he added.

A Group of Ministers, headed by Rajasthan Transport Minister Yunoos Khan, has submitted its preliminary report that proposes hefty penalty for traffic violations. The final report is expected by the next month, after which the Bill should be passed in Parliament, the Minister said.

The GoM, tasked to frame the Bill to make significant modifications to the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, has come out with several other suggestions for stricter punishment for the rule breakers. 

The GoM includes seven Transport Ministers from various states, including Karnataka, Rajasthan, Goa and Haryana.