Driver licence rules may shift gears: Violations to get penalty points with insurance link

PEople elderly betwixt 40 and 60 applying for a renewal of their device driver’s licence may no yearner demand to provide a medical certificate; and traffic violations will result in penalty points tracked on driving licences and may also be linked to insurance premiums.The two are among changes being considered by the Union government as it overhauls driving licence and vehicle-related services, people familiar with the matter in the Union ministry of road transport and highways said, adding that these are part of efforts to improve “ease of living” and reduce procedural hurdles.On the enforcement side of safer driving practices, the government is working on a behaviour-based point system linked to driving conduct. Under the proposal, traffic violations recorded through e-challans will add penalty points against a driver’s licence, officials said. Accumulation of points beyond a set limit could lead to temporary suspension of the licence or restrictions on driving privileges. Proposals are also being examined to link these points to motor insurance premiums, potentially increasing costs for repeat offenders, the officials added.Parallelly, discussions are underway to make the licence issuance process more citizen-friendly while ensuring that licences are granted only to qualified drivers. The focus is on reducing delays in tests and approvals, with greater use of technology in assessments.The government is also planning to make it mandatory for all driving licence holders to digitally update their mobile numbers and residential addresses to keep transport department records current, make it easier to contact them, and support electronic enforcement systems, officials said.Another major change being proposed is a fully online process for transfer of vehicle ownership, using Aadhaar-based authentication to verify buyers and sellers. Officials said this is aimed at cutting long queues at transport offices, reducing paperwork, preventing fraudulent transfers and speeding up routine services for citizens.Some of these reforms, which were discussed with state transport ministers and senior officials during a two-day meeting held on January 7 and 8, are expected to be made effective as early as March, officials said.Currently, applicants in the 40-60 years age group are required to submit a medical fitness certificate when applying for a new driving licence or its renewal. The proposed change would eliminate this requirement, while retaining medical certification for people aged 60 and above. “The age-linked fitness certificate requirement for applicants between 40 and 60 years is being withdrawn. In practice, this certification is widely treated as a mere formality and is rarely verified by authorities, so removing it will reduce unnecessary paperwork,” one official said.Anil Chhikara, former deputy transport commissioner of Delhi and faculty at the Asian Institute of Transport Development, said the points-based system for drivers is a welcome change. “This will effectively rein in offenders. But rather than doing away with the health certification of applicants above 40, there should be rigorous standards in evaluating both physical and psychometric tests for acquiring and renewing driving licences.”A driver behaviour-linked insurance premium model to incentivise safe driving was earlier mulled as a major value-added offering to a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)-based tolling system. However, the official application of the GNSS-based system has been put on hold, with the NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) system yet to be completely ready.Unlike the challan-based system, a GNSS-based system would record driving behaviour in all conditions, even without enforcement infrastructure or personnel.Ashwini Bagga, a road safety consultant working with the Rajasthan government, however, questioned how this new proposed system of penalising errant drivers will work. “At present, even with automated challan systems, violations are recorded against the vehicle registration number, not the driver. For a behaviour-based penalty system to work, enforcement databases must capture the driver’s licence details at the time of compounding a chalan, otherwise the gap between vehicle-based enforcement and driver-based accountability will remain,” he pointed out.