Bhubaneswar, June 10: Drivers found violating traffic rules will no longer face immediate suspension of their driving licences, following a major change in the enforcement process. Under the revised procedure, authorities must first issue a show-cause notice and seek an explanation from the alleged offender before taking action.

As per the new guidelines, details of the violation will be uploaded to the Sarathi portal, after which the licence holder will be asked to explain why their driving licence should not be suspended. If the response is found satisfactory, no action will be taken. However, if the explanation fails to justify the violation, the driving licence will be suspended for three months.

Earlier, enforcement teams of the Transport Department and traffic police could suspend driving licences for traffic violations, with the licence automatically becoming valid again after the suspension period. Officials, however, observed that the existing system had limited impact on changing the behaviour of repeat offenders. There were also concerns that some motorists were being penalised without adequate opportunity to present their case.

The revised procedure has been introduced following recommendations of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety and is in line with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019.

In addition to the suspension, violators will now be required to undergo a three-day online road safety refresher training programme. The licence will be restored only after successful completion of the training. Drivers who fail to complete the programme within the stipulated three-month period will not have their licences reinstated.

Authorities believe the new system will ensure greater transparency in enforcement while promoting responsible driving and improving road safety awareness among motorists.