New Delhi: The Union government has amended the Motor Vehicle Rules and now more stringent punishment awaits errant drivers. The Union Ministry of Transport has changed the rules and now 5 or more traffic offences in a year, may bar a person from driving on the road for a full year. The Ministry added a fresh provision of either disqualification or revocation of the driving license through amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act.
The provisions have been made to check errant drivers, involved in multiple accidents.
Who can decide on suspension of a driving license?
The Road Transport Office or the district transport office has the right to decide on the suspension of the driving license. However, the errant drivers will be given an opportunity to present their case in front of the presiding officials before the licenses are suspended.
The notification for the change in rules was published on Wednesday, said a report in the Times of India. According to the notification, the new rules about the suspension of driving license for 5 and more offences in a month, commences from January 1, 2026.
Traffic offences not to be carried over from one year to another
The government however, in some relief to drivers, said that traffic offences could not be carried over from one year to another. So if a decision to suspend a driver’s license is taken, he must have committed 5 driving offences within 1 particular year, itself.
The notification read, “no offence or contravention recorded in any previous one-year period shall be taken into account for determining offences or contravention in any subsequent one-year period.”
Till now, there were 24 provisions in the law, which could lead to disqualification or suspension of driving license. These included, theft of vehicle, assault on passenger(s), abduction of passengers, driving beyond permissible limit, overloading and abandoning vehicle in a public space.
These provisions were made, considering that “these acts pose as dangers to public”. Now however, 5 or more traffic offences, like not wearing a helmet, seatbelts or jumping red lights can also result in suspension of driving licenses of people.
The ministry also said that any police officer in uniform or any other officer authorised by the state government can issue a challan. This challan needs to either be paid or contested by the offender within 45 days. If he or she fails to contest the challan it would be deemed that they have accepted it.