Madhya Pradesh to Test Denying Fuel to Uninsured Vehicles at Petrol Pumps

Madhya Pradesh is preparing to pilot a system that could prevent vehicles without valid insurance from buying fuel at petrol pumps. The initiative, discussed at a meeting chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Abhay Manohar Sapre, is part of a broader push to strengthen road-safety enforcement through technology.

The pilot will be launched in a district with the highest number of uninsured vehicles. Under the proposed setup, cameras installed at fuel stations will be linked to the VAHAN portal to automatically identify vehicles lacking valid insurance coverage. Once the system is tested, authorities plan to extend it to other districts in phases.

The move goes beyond conventional traffic checks by tying insurance compliance to access to fuel. The Supreme Court has previously suggested integrating automatic number-plate recognition cameras with VAHAN and insurance databases for electronic identification of uninsured vehicles.

At the same meeting, the state decided to expand its Zero-Fatality District programme from six to nine districts. Indore, Bhopal, and Ujjain will join Dhar, Satna, Rewa, Sagar, Jabalpur, and Khargone, where the programme is already active.

Madhya Pradesh records roughly 13,000 road accident deaths annually. Officials noted that fatalities in the first six months of 2026 dropped by about 800 compared with the same period in 2025, attributing the decline to special safety measures.

Justice Sapre stressed the need for community involvement in preventing road deaths, calling for local committees and incentives for participants. He also directed officials to prepare short- and long-term action plans to address accidents caused by stray animals and other factors, with clear timelines for implementation.

Officials were asked to analyse accidents across the state and develop specific plans to prevent repeat incidents at the same locations or from the same causes. The state government will make financial provisions for the programme, supplemented by CSR initiatives and technological solutions.

Emergency response was also flagged for improvement. The meeting was told that the average time to transport an accident victim to a hospital in urban areas is currently 16 minutes, and efforts will be made to reduce this further.