VISAKHAPATNAM: Think twice before leaving home without your driving licence (DL), as the rigorous drives launched by the Road Transport Authority (RTA) over the traffic violations may land you behind the bars.The RTA officials have booked around 9,000 cases since May 1 in Visakhapatnam district for various traffic violations.
Among the violations, the officials are focusing on the cases of driving vehicles without DL. They have decided to produce the violators before the court of law.
“Our focus has changed regarding the road accidents. For any type of violation that could lead to trouble, we do not hesitate to initiate strict action. Earlier for DL cases, we used to impose fine `500 to `1,000. Now, we are seizing vehicles and producing the violators in the court of law,” said S Venkateswara Rao, the deputy transport commissioner.
According to RTA officials, the court could sentence the violator to three months imprisonment, slap fine or both. Moreover, the vehicle owner will be produced before the court, whose DL may be suspended, they say. Same rule is followed by RTA in drunk driving cases after suspending the DL.
Since May 1, the RTA has been booking at least 300 cases a day for violations of safety norms. On some days, theme-based drives like driving without helmet, lack of reflector lights, drunk driving, seat belt and auto overloading.
The RTA officials said that producing in court will lead people, especially youth and government employees to further trouble, as everything will be recorded. “Consider a case when a government employee lends his bike to a student not having driving licence. Produced in court, he gets jailed or fined which will be recorded, affecting his career. Now vehicle owners will be produced before the court, leading to suspension of licences,” said a MVI, on condition of anonymity.
As per the records of Road Transport Authority till June 23 night, RTA teams have booked around 9,000 cases out of which around 700 are people driving without licence.
RTA officials say that on June 23 in a theme- based drive against DL cases, as many as 295 cases were booked by 24 teams in the district. They seized 295 vehicles and the owners and drivers will be produced before the court soon.
“We have suspended around 850 DLs so far. Around 375 people have been prosecuted and over 400 which mostly include DL cases are yet to be produced before the court,” said Venkateswara Rao.
Crime and punishment