Mumbai: Soon, those vehicle owners who have clean driving records can expect to be rewarded for it. The state’s transport department is considering a proposal to incentivise good drivers by reducing their insurance premiums. Good drivers are those who not only follow traffic rules but have also not been involved in accidents.
It is the first time the government is talking about incentives for this segment of the driving populace. The idea came forth at the road safety workshop where the transport commissioner said they would consider taking it forward.
“It is a good idea to provide incentives by lowering vehicle insurance premiums. However, we will have to work on it before presenting it to the government,” said Shekhar Channe, transport commissioner. There has been a four per cent increase in road accidents, though the number of accidents have come down as compared to last year.
According to Mumbai Traffic Police, last year, they caught 7.71 lakh motorists for speeding, 1.15 lakh two-wheeler riders for travelling without a helmet and 1.19 lakh for jumping signals. The state traffic police have already suspended 13,000 driving licences for breaching traffic rules across Maharashtra. The Maharashtra Traffic Police also state, people should demand helmets from vehicle dealers or manufacturers while buying motorbikes and scooters.
Vijay Patil, Superintendent of Police, Maharashtra Traffic police, said, there is a rule in Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 where helmets are mandatory and in 2016, the state government came out with a circular where manufacturers/dealers have been asked to provide helmets along with two-wheelers sold by them. Road safety experts and the transport department also feel there should be bikes should be redesigned so as to accommodate helmets.