Karnataka records minimal driving licence cancellations despite high volume of traffic violations

Over the past five years, a mere 1,525 driving licences were cancelled across India for traffic violations. Tamil Nadu accounted for half of these cancellations, while Delhi and West Bengal reported just three each. Haryana recorded four cancellations, while Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan recorded 104, 158, 119, 105, and 94 cancellations, respectively. Maharashtra, a State with a high volume of traffic violations, recorded only 15 cancellations.

Karnataka has cancelled only 16 driving licences for traffic offences over the past five years, sparking concerns over the efficacy of enforcement measures though the RTO has suspended 7,395 DLs in Bengaluru.

According to data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH, Karnataka has cancelled two licences for driving without a valid permit and 14 for drunk driving incidents. These figures contrast sharply with the large number of violations recorded annually.

Responding to a query from Rajya Sabha MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni, Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari revealed that, as per records on the centralised Sarathi portal, transport departments across various States and Union Territories cancelled a total of 1,525 driving licences between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024.

Despite the widespread prevalence of drunk driving cases in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru the number of cancelled licences remains disproportionately low. For instance, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) registered 23,620 drunk-driving cases in the year 2024 alone. However, the number of driving licence cancellations remains in single digits, indicating a significant enforcement gap.

Addressing this disparity, traffic expert Prof. M. N. Srihari explained that not all violations lead to licence cancellation. “Some drivers appeal against suspension, and if no valid reason is found, courts may overturn the suspension. For instance, in cases where the driver is directly responsible, the licence can be suspended, but in situations involving mechanical failure or external factors, cancellation is unlikely,” he said. He further pointed out that some individuals leverage their influence at local police stations or exploit legal loopholes to evade suspensions.

A senior traffic police officer said that not all violations result in licence suspension or cancellation. “Many offenders do not carry their licence when stopped, making it impossible for us to seize them and forward them to the RTO for action. Some drivers deliberately claim they do not have their DL on hand, fearing suspension. This reality on the ground could be one of the reasons for the low number of cancellations,” the officer said.

Another senior officer said that while traffic police forward licences of offenders to Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), only the RTO has the right to suspend or cancel licences. “In 2024, Bengaluru Traffic Police sent 7,395 licences to RTOs for suspension. The RTOs often struggle to process these cases due to workload constraints,” he said.