Odisha Transport Dept Begins Enforcement; 153 Juvenile Drivers Caught on Day 1 | Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: The Odisha Transport Department has launched a Special Enforcement Drive across the state. Rigorous inspections are being conducted under the 38 regional transport offices, including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Ganjam, Rourkela, Sambalpur, and Balasore.

The State Transport Authority (STA Odisha) has formed special teams. On the first day of the special drive, the focus was on juvenile drivers. As a result, a total of 153 challans were issued, and 60 vehicles were seized.

In Khordha district, 11 challans were issued under Bhubaneswar-2 RTO, 7 under Bhubaneswar-1 RTO, and 3 under Khordha ARTO. In Kalahandi, 12 challans were issued, 10 in Cuttack, 8 in Koraput, and 7 each in Ganjam and Rayagada. Additionally, 7 vehicles were seized in Rayagada, 6 each in Rourkela and Bolangir, and 5 each in Balasore and Sonepur. In Kalahandi, 4 vehicles were seized, 3 each under Talcher, Angul, Bhubaneswar-1, and Khordha ARTO.

The enforcement drive started on Monday morning. Transport Department teams conducted inspections at key points and near schools and colleges. Many students, who were not of legal driving age and did not possess a driving license, were found riding bikes and scooters to educational institutions. The inspection teams caught these juvenile drivers under Section 199(A) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. This law allows for a fine of Rs 25,000 against the parents or vehicle owners of juvenile drivers, and in some cases, even up to 3 years of imprisonment. The law also allows for the seizure of vehicles.

Recently, a tragic accident caused by a juvenile driver in Pune created a nationwide uproar. Subsequently, the involved driver’s parents were jailed. Despite this, it is observed that many have not yet been serious about this. Accidents involving juvenile drivers continue to be a significant concern.

To curb this, the State Transport Authority has initiated a special enforcement drive. The STA requests all parents and educational institutions to take serious measures to prevent juvenile driving. This enforcement will continue in the coming days, said State Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur. The enforcement will not be limited to juvenile driving but will also cover fitness, helmets, seat belts, speeding, and drunken driving issues.

Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena has previously directed to take strict measures to reduce road accidents, and the State Transport Authority is taking steps in this regard. Despite various awareness campaigns, some reckless drivers have not yet reformed, and this step is being taken to catch them.

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