Bhubaneswar: Traffic violators beware. The Odisha State Transport Department (STA) has decided to crack the whip on habitual violators of traffic rules at regular intervals. As per official sources, a massive crackdown on violators and strict enforcement of the amended Motor Vehicles (MV) Act 2019 will begin from January, 2021.
The law enforcement agencies including the Commissionerate Police on Sunday launched a massive drive to penalise traffic offenders with an objective to create awareness ahead of the mega crackdown next month.
Commerce and Transport Minister Padmanabha Behera on Sunday said the transport officials and police have been instructed to step up the vehicle checking from next year.
“Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the checking of vehicles slowed down everywhere. Now, the Supreme Court Committee has pulled up all the States for not enforcing the amended MV Act strictly. So, a meeting presided over the Chief Secretary has recently decided to enforce the law strictly from January”, Behera said.
STA officials informed that already helmets for the pillion riders have been made mandatory by the Odisha government. Under the Act, the driving licence can be suspended for three months.
“The DL is suspended for not wearing helmet under section 194D of MV Act. The Supreme Court Committee on road safety has directed to strictly enforce helmet law as it will reduce the death due to road accidents by 41%,” tweeted STA.
Apart from helmets, a massive crackdown will be launched on drunken driving, over-speeding, red light jumping, driving against flow of traffic, using mobile phone while driving, triple riding on two-wheeler and use of seat belt.
Clear instructions have been given to the enforcing authorities to adopt a zero tolerance approach for any kind of violation of the traffic norms in the State.