Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has proposed the issuing of higher insurance premiums for vehicle owners who violate the traffic rules. This implies that if a vehicle owner breaks the traffic rules, they will submit the traffic challan and additional higher premiums for the vehicles as well. Delhi’s LG has also written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. He has also requested her to establish a link between the number of traffic violations that have been registered against a vehicle and its insurance rate. Saxena asked Sitharaman to consider his proposal for a tiered insurance pricing structure that symbolises driving behaviour. As per the LG, premiums would apply to vehicles having a history of violations, including reckless driving, speeding, or other traffic offences. The LG stated that this financial penalty would give rise to a culture of responsible driving on Indian roads and promote safer driving behaviours.
Saxena’s suggestion comes amidst the statistics of cases related to traffic violations released by the Delhi Police. It was revealed that in 2023, wrong-side driving on Delhi roads increased by 20.63 per cent. A senior police officer told PTI, “Last year, we sent 1,24,593 notices to individuals found violating traffic norms. This year, 1,03,283 notices have been issued for the same violation.” There has also been a spike in the challans for using mobile phones while driving. As per the PTI, in the eight months, police issued 19,422 challans for using mobile phones while driving. Also, 32,593 challans were issued in the same period this year. The officer said that last year, they had sent five notices for using mobile phones while driving and 125 notices were sent this year.
In addition to these reasons, the lack of proper maintenance of Indian roads has often led to their deterioration. This has been seen in the metropolises, towns or villages. As per the Road Accident Report for 2020, 75,000 people died because of the poor roads in India. Road Transport and Highways Ministry prepares the Road Accident Report for 2020. The collapse of the 137-year-old suspension bridge in Morbi on October 30, 2022, claimed over 130 lives. In another incident, a part of the 341-km Purvanchal Expressway, one of the most ambitious projects of the Uttar Pradesh government, caved in.
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