THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) launched Operation Focus, a 10-day statewide drive, on Monday to penalise vehicle owners and drivers who commit violations such as using unauthorised colour lights and not dimming high beam. The department has listed more than a dozen major violations.
The immediate reason for the drive was the fire that occurred in a tourist bus from Kannur in Goa three days ago. It was found the bus operator had changed the original electrical wiring and fittings to install additional lights.
All types of vehicles will be inspected. The MVD will carry out night inspection from 7pm and 3am on April 5, 8 and 12. Lack of parking lights, non-illumination of registration mark and rear number plate, noise and air pollution, unauthorised fitting of searchlights and use of excess lights are among the offences that will be checked for during the drive.
“Use of excess lights is a serious issue. We have decided to enforce safe use of lights. The drive will be followed by constant monitoring,” said Additional Transport Commissioner Pramoj Shanker P S.
Excess light causing many accidents at night: MVD
“Most of the major road accidents occur during night, mainly due to excess light. It partly blinds drivers coming from the opposite direction while the fancy lights cause distraction. We have not been able to reduce the number of road accidents in the last five years.
Effective enforcement is required to reduce the number by 25% by 2025,” said National Transportation Planning and Research Centre director Samson Mathew. If a violation is noticed, the enforcement officers will ask a vehicle owner to remove unauthorised fittings and present the vehicle before the registering authority. If the owner fails to present the vehicle within the scheduled date, the registering authority can take action, including cancellation of registration certificates.
The Contract Carriage Operators Association (CCOA ) has also asked members to refrain from using unauthorised lights and fittings. “A few people change the electrical wirings and batteries of vehicles to fix extra lights in order to attract youngsters. These tendencies should be discouraged,” said CCOA general secretary S Prasanthan.