THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The number of people driving without a valid licence is on the rise in the state, due to suspension of driving licence test coupled with the relaxation in enforcement activities. People whose licence got expired and unable to renew it are also included in the list of offenders.
"People prefer private vehicles during the time of pandemic and many are not willing to wait till the driving tests are restarted," said an officer with the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD). The shrinkage of the public transport system is also cited as a reason behind the increase in the use of private vehicles.
Though the government has given consent to restart driving tests from September 14, the situation is unlikely to change for some time. It will be a daunting task for officials to clear the backlog of over 7 lakh test applications that reached various regional transport offices before lockdown. According to official estimates, new applicants have to wait till October 15 for getting slots for driving test.
"The number of persons violating traffic rules will be more till we resume full-scale enforcement activities," said the officer. According to him, the MVD had relaxed enforcement activities fearing public outrage in the backdrop of pandemic. The enforcement is restricted to grievous offences and other non-contact procedures such as sending notices based on the offence captured by traffic cameras.
Earlier, the fine imposed on a person for driving without a licence was Rs 1,500, which has been steeply hiked to Rs 10,000 under the new motor vehicle law since the last year. But the offender will have to pay dearly if he or she gets involved in an accident while driving without a valid licence.
When Motor Accident Claims Tribunal court awards compensation to the accident victim, it is usually the motor insurance company that pays on behalf of the offender. "There will be no guarantee of insurance cover if the offender did not have a valid licence during the motor accident," said the officer.
For injuries and hospitalisation, the compensation awarded can be in lakhs. The liability is on the driver to pay it or face the jail term, said the officer.