To check mishaps, act tough with traffic violators: Badnore

Amit Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 16

Close on the heels of a series carried by Chandigarh Tribune on killer roads claiming innocent lives, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore today called for stricter punishment for traffic violations to curb road accidents. Badnore was speaking at the closing ceremony of a function organised in connection with the 28th National Road Safety Week at Children Traffic Park, Sector 23. He asked UT Adviser Parimal Rai to come up with stringent rules for violators to check road accidents in the city.

Badnore cited the example of foreign countries where stringent rules ensured that people did not violate traffic norms.

The Administrator said a system should be put in place where the record of the driving licence holder was scrutinised at the time of the renewal of the licence. “The accidents caused by the driving licence holder and the traffic challans issued to him or her should be taken into consideration by the licensing authority before renewing the licence,” he said. Suggesting measures to bring down the rising road accidents, the Administrator said in case a driver was caught for drunken driving, the premium of the car insurance should go up. Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Badnore said the measures he spoke about were not part of his speech but a skit on drunken and underage driving made him think of these.He asked the traffic police to act tough with youngsters who violate traffic laws. The Administrator expressed concern over the rise in the number of accident cases involving teenagers and drunken driving. The Governor asked the police personnel not to succumb to pressure from anybody, including senior officers, when a motorist is caught violating traffic rules.