Koraput: At a time when hefty fines are being imposed on traffic violators under the new Motor Vehicles Act-2019, the fear of such penalties is manifesting itself in ways very hard to comprehend.
In one such incident, an auto rickshaw driver in Jeypore area of Koraput district named Anil Mishra was spotted using ropes as a seat belt. Even though auto rickshaws are not equipped with seat belt, Mishra decided to make a temporary one using ropes after he was told that he might get challaned by traffic cops.
"When my brother asked me what will I do if traffic cops caught me for not wearing a seat belt, I became cautious. Out of fear, I decided to use a rope. It feels a little uncomfortable, but I believe, I will not be challaned for using this," said Mishra.
Meanwhile, as per the Odisha Transport Minister, Padmanabha Behera, the State Transport Authority (STA) collected a whopping Rs 1.06 crore in just 24 hours of re-enforcement of the provisions of new Motor Vehicles Act 2019 in Odisha on March 1.