Other than just conducting traffic exams, tests and registering vehicles that are either recently purchased or in need or re-registration, the Regional Transport Office has their hands full with a bunch of other responsibilities. The state offices throughout the country have been working hard to make sure India has safer roads. However, with the increased number of cars, traffic congestion, and the largest part of traffic in a few Indian cities, the roads tend to get scary and unsafe. Statistically speaking, India sees the largest number of accidents around major festivals or during the holiday season. It was about time that the Regional Transport Office began taking major steps to keep the streets safe.
Some of these systems have already been implemented while others are being released shortly, these are to include:
1. Multiple radio and television advertisements.
You can hear a lot of these especially around Christmas and new year to sensitise the audience about the dangers of negligence on the road. Sometimes hearing an add on the radio while you are doing the same thing, changes the way you handle it especially when you know it is wrong.
2. Adding more checkpoints and random checks along the main roads.
The cops along with the RTO have put up check posts, blockades, and barricades in popular areas, especially in the late hours of the night, to check on people returning from parties. This is usually done to keep a check on people drinking and driving, thereby putting their lives and others at risk.
3. The use of speed monitors.
The two departments took the liberty to add speed monitors to random stretches of road, ideally ones that see the most traffic. They monitor the passing of cars and send speeding tickets to the homes of the registered users of the vehicle.
4. Receiving points on your drivers’ licence.
They started adding points to the licences of drivers being negligent or rash. The RTO has even started temporarily confiscating the licences of drivers who were using their phones while driving or riding. Furthermore, if you are a repeat offender, you might even have your licence permanently taken away. If your licence is taken away, whether temporality or permanently, there is a giant proceeding you have to attend to stake your claim and get it back.
5. Helmets are made more important now.
The helmet rule has been made compulsory throughout the country and people have to wear them even before thinking of getting on a bike. Riders have to wear it throughout India but the compulsion for the pillion to wear the same has not been firmly implemented yet.
6. Smarter licences
The citizens of India were provided licenses with chips since it was supposed to hold information. It would be able to track all the information of the users and keep it in one place, forever associated with the licence. This same process was followed when giving out vehicle RC books. Unfortunately, the technology to read these cards was scarce. The RTO could not handle that many licenses in the past but now they are getting a larger supply of readers, making this a lot easier.
A lot of the work done by the RTO is being executed by the traffic cell, connected to the Police Department. The tickets and other fines that were given by the RTO are sometimes mailed to the homes of drivers, through the Police Department. They gather this information based on the car license plate numbers and add it to the tickets.
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