Come Jan 1, licence to be must for paying challan

LUDHIANA: Be warned if you don't have a driving licence but still drive a motorable vehicle in the district. Come January 1, it will be compulsory for all to produce their driving licence when paying the fine for a traffic violation.
The decision has been taken by the traffic police and Ludhiana district transport office. Ludhiana assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Richa Agnihotri said the decision was taken in a meeting of the traffic police with the district transport office and city-based NGOs.She said the decision was also a follow-up of a series of directions issued by the Supreme Court and Punjab and Haryana high court. "The decision has been taken to ensure that a record of traffic offenders is created," she said.
Rahul Verma, a road-safety expert who is working with Ludhiana traffic police, said if the offender does not produce a driving licence, the case would be forwarded to a court of law. The direction is going to be implemented by January 1.
However, residents feel these directions would remain on paper and not be implemented in letter and spirit. "Ludhiana is one of the worst cities when it comes to traffic. When we go to Chandigarh, we follow traffic rules diligently. But, once we are back, we violate them. The difference is not in the rules, but the implementation; this is where we need to work," said Sunil Dutt, a businessman from Rishi Nagar.