CUTTACK: Overspeeding, jumping red light, drunk driving and using cell phones while driving would now result in suspension of driving licences (DLs) for a minimum of three months with the State Government preparing to launch a sustained crackdown on such violations across districts.
With the Supreme Court-appointed Committee on Road Safety taking note of the lax approach of Odisha in this connection, the Transport Department has asked all district Collectors, SPs, DCPs of Twin City Commissionerate Police and regional transport officers (RTOs) and motor vehicle inspectors (MVIs) to enforce the laws without any leniency.
The offences that would draw DL suspension include exceeding specified speed limits and jumping of red light, overloading of goods and carrying passengers in goods carriages, driving under influence of alcohol and drugs and also using mobile phones while driving.
In a circular issued on Monday, Transport Commissioner Chandra Sekhar Kumar has called for immediate implementation through proper coordination among different agencies. In Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, which have Commissionerate police system and other towns and cities with traffic management systems in place, traffic police will launch a drive against such violations.
They will seize the DLs and forward them to the RTO for suspension of licence for a period of not less than three months under Section 19 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Rule 21 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The RTO will keep the DLs and return them to the violators after the suspension period.
“The Supreme Court panel had issued the directions along with guidelines in August. We had already ordered authorities concerned to undertake the drive at their levels. While police, RTOs and MVIs would conduct checks at their level, joint enforcement squads would also be formed to make the efforts more fruitful,” Kumar said.
The Committee, while issuing directions for harsh punishment like suspension of DLs, had held that “unless strong and urgent measures are taken to deal with over-speeding, drunken driving, red light jumping, violation of helmets and seat belt laws, use of mobile phones and overloading, number of accidents and fatalities will continue to remain high”.
It had also ordered that police should prosecute the offender of drunken driving and seek imprisonment as prescribed under Section 185 of MV Act, 1988. Helmet laws mandating use by both riders and pillion will be applicable to all States and UT. The violations would be dealt with severely as not using seat belt would.
With the Committee seeking to regularly review the action taken by Odisha on the front, the Transport Commissioner has asked the district administration, police and transport officials concerned to submit monthly compliance reports without fail.