Bhubaneswar: Vehicle owners frequently violating traffic rules may be forced to shell out a higher motor insurance premium with the state government seeking the Centre’s intervention to introduce the penal provision.
Commerce and transport secretary Usha Padhee on Tuesday wrote to the secretary of ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) Anurag Jain and said an enhanced insurance premium will serve as a deterrent for rash drivers and improve the road safety scenario in the state.
Padhee wrote that the state government is committed to discourage repeat offenders from flouting road safety norms. She said in a review meeting held under the chairmanship of chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena, it was decided to take steps for charging higher insurance premium for vehicle owners who have been violating traffic rules repeatedly. A meeting with general insurance companies was held on March 30 where their officials agreed to extend all possible cooperation to the state government.
“E-challan system has been introduced in Odisha as well as many other states. The e-challan details, including the offenders can be accessed through the Vahan portal. By integrating the Vahan database with that of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), the repeat offending vehicles can be detected. Accordingly higher insurance premium can be charged from them at the time of renewal,” Padhee’s letter read. The state government has proposed that the higher premium should be treated as traffic violation premium, and it should be charged in addition to the existing own damage, third-party and personal accident premiums offered by the motor insurance companies.
The government has also proposed that the additional premium collected from the vehicle owners should be shared with the state for taking up various road safety and awareness activities.
“The detailed modalities of revenue sharing may be finalised later. As the premium issues are dealt by the IRDAI, the issue may kindly be taken up at the appropriate forum,” the letter said.
Police said a system should be in place to maintain a database of risky and safe drivers by monitoring their compliance and violations of traffic rules. The nature of traffic violations of each driver should be linked to the driving licence.
