Stern enforcement will be avoided during the Onam festive season by law enforcers against motorists breaching the road discipline.
The move is in the wake of the resistance from motorists to pay hefty penalty that came into effect from September 1 as per the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, for use of mobile phone, red light jumping, over-speeding, overtaking through left, drunk driving and for tying seat belts and not wearing helmets.
The oral directive to Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) and the police is in the wake of the concern whether motorists will turn their ire against the government for executing the provision without adequate ground work and awareness.
A meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and attended by the top brass of the police, Transport Department and MVD the other day discussed the implementation of the Act and on the move to go for digital mode for enforcement.
The officials pointed out the ground situation in the State and the non implementation of the new Act passed by Parliament and notified by the Centre in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal and Tamil Nadu to the Chief Minister. The issue will be taken up after Onam hiolidays, official sources said.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala urged the government not to implement the provisions of the Act and the hefty penalty.
“The roads are in bad shape and motorists are held up in traffic snarls for hours. The hike in penalty cannot be approved and the haste in which the MVD decided to implement it,” he said.
Mr. Chennithala said CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan instead of issuing statement should take the initiative to stop the government from collecting the hiked penalty from motorists.