Strict traffic norms from today

BHUBANESWAR: Enforcement against traffic violators will be stricter from the New Year. Focus will be on violations like drunken driving, over speeding, using mobile phone while driving, triple riding, wrong side driving, overcrowding in buses and not wearing seat belts and helmets, said Transport Commissioner-cum-Chairman of State Transport Authority (STA) Sanjeeb Panda.

As per the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019, riding without helmet attracts a penalty of `1,000. If a person riding pillion is not wearing helmet, then the driving licence of the rider will be suspended for three months and a fine of `1,000 will be imposed against him/her, said Panda.The Government has also delegated powers to the police to fine traffic violators under the Motor Vehicles Act.

Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Traffic DCP Saumya Mishra said apart from carrying out road safety violations enforcement, focus will be given on pillion riders travelling without helmets. The number of fatalities arising out of road accidents witnessed a 27  per cent rise in September and October this year as against the same  period last year.

STA and Odisha Police had launched a special drive across the State for three days from December 23 to check drunken driving. Around 150 persons were arrested during the drive, their vehicles seized and licences suspended for three months for driving under the influence of alcohol, said Panda.

While officials had earlier stopped using breath analyzers to check drunken driving amid the coronavirus scare, the STA has directed them to use new breath pipes every time they conduct test of a person suspected to be driving in an inebriated state. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday expressed concern over the high number of accidents in the State.

“Road accident related fatalities are very high in our State. There is need to take up preventive and enforcement initiatives as well as public awareness campaign in coordination with other stakeholders like Transport and Works Departments to bring down such fatalities,” said Naveen at the 62nd Senior Police Officers’ Conference.

Traffic DCP summoned
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has summoned Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Traffic DCP Saumya Mishra to appear before it on January 11 in connection with a complaint against alleged traffic mismanagement in the Twin City. Rights activist Siba Shankar Mohanty had lodged a complaint with the Commission over traffic mismanagement in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Subsequently, the police had submitted a report in this regard to OHRC. In its order on December 12, the OHRC had asked Traffic DCP to appear before it on December 29 to render assistance in disposing of the proceedings of the case.  “In the absence of Traffic DCP, the Commission is not able to dispose off the case. Despite our order, Traffic DCP did not appear for which the Commission feels appropriate to issue summons to the officer for personal appearance,” said OHRC in its order on Tuesday.