The Kerala Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) has decided to take strict action against traffic violators who disregard the safety of pedestrians at pedestrian crossings.
MVD officers have been instructed to revoke the licenses of drivers who violate pedestrian safety at crosswalks. Besides, they would be prosecuted under Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act, which carries a fine of ₹2,000.
The decision was taken in the backdrop of the Kerala High Court’s order recently directing the authorities to strictly enforce the law against errant drivers who violate the safety of pedestrians at pedestrian crossings and along the road. Drivers who stop or immobilize their vehicles at crossings will be penalized by the police and MVD and their driving license will be revoked, said Transport Commissioner CH Nagaraju. We have noticed that many two-wheeler and four-wheeler drivers do not show courtesy to pedestrians on the roads, especially at pedestrian crossings. In addition, many drivers parked their vehicles directly at crosswalks, defeating the purpose of these crosswalks. In some places, wherever there are sidewalks, this space is also used for parking vehicles. This shows a very dangerous driving culture and causes thousands of pedestrian deaths on the roads. More than 800 pedestrians have died this year to date and 50% of pedestrians who have died on the roads are senior citizens, he said.
Many drivers do not slow down at crossings. They keep speeding up to the crosswalk, forcing pedestrians to run over or get confused. According to the rules, every driver should gradually slow down and stop at least 3 meters from the crossing whenever a pedestrian is seen waiting at the edge of the crossing. Showing courtesy to pedestrians and anticipating their movements are the main aspects required to maintain a driving licence, said Mr Nagaraju.
Published – 01 Dec 2025 21:08 IST
