AHMEDABAD: Even as the city grapples with the aftermath of rash-driving incidents like those involving Tathya Patel and Ripal Panchal, Ahmedabad’s Road Transport Office (RTO) is cracking down on traffic violators harder than ever. The RTO has suspended or cancelled as many as 1,575 licences until Nov in 2024 alone — the highest in the past five years.
From Jan to Nov 2024, Ahmedabad RTO suspended or cancelled more than four licences daily — a steep rise from three every two days in 2023.
Compared to 1,575 licences in the past 11 months, 571 licences were suspended in 2023, while the numbers for 2021 and 2022 were 309 and 319, respectively. During the pandemic-hit 2020, the figure was negligible. Notably, this surge pertains solely to the GJ-01, Ahmedabad, jurisdiction.
Officials attributed the rise to stricter enforcement of traffic laws under the Motor Vehicles Act.Drivers who violate traffic rules repeatedly can face fines of Rs 1,000 and a three-month suspension of their licence,” explained an RTO official.
This year alone, the Ahmedabad traffic police recommended the suspension of 7,700 errant drivers from across the state. “We analysed traffic records and challans to identify offenders, some of whom frequently drive vehicles registered in other districts within Ahmedabad. We sent the list to the respective RTOs so they could take action,” said JCP N N Chaudhari.
Fatal accidents often lead to permanent licence cancellations, while lesser violations trigger temporary suspensions if repeated three or more times, he added. The surge in actions was also spurred by the legal push to enforce stricter compliance to curb helmetless riding and wrong-side driving. Ahmedabad RTO J J Patel said that the city’s growing vehicle density contributes to the is sue. “An average of 2 lakh vehicles are added annually,. With technology making cars safer, drivers indulge in speeding especially on smoother roads,” said Patel. Areas like Sindhu Bhavan Road remain hotspots for such offences.
A senior officer said, “If the RTO and city police sit together, they will find several drivers who violate traffic rules and jump signals repeatedly. Apart from cancelling licences, the permit or registration of vehicles involved in repeat offences should be cancelled.”
