Bhubaneswar: Taking strong note of public resentment over steep penalties being enforced under amended Motor Vehicle Act, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday asked the enforcement agencies not to aggressively go on an overdrive against traffic rule violators for next three months.
The Chief Minister appealed to the people to get the papers of their vehicles ready in three months. The development came after an angry mob went on a rampage and attacked police personnel collecting hefty fines being imposed by police and transport officials following the implementation of the amended Motor Vehicles (MV) Act from September 1 at Rajmahal Square here.
“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed deep concern over the public resentment which has been reported from some parts of the State, particularly Bhubaneswar, on account of the provisions of recently amended MV Act,” said a Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) communiqué.
It said that the Chief Minister has directed the enforcement agencies not to aggressively go on an overdrive but rather counsel and handhold the public to facilitate compliance with the amended provisions of MV Act.
It further said that CM has directed the Transport Department to augment public services, strengthen the Facilitation Centres, open extra counters, conduct camps in public institutions to enable the motor vehicle users to update their compliance status.
“The process will continue over the next three months so that adequate time is made available to the public to ensure compliance. Massive Road Safety awareness campaign will be carried out to sensitise public on the new norms,” it added.
The Chief Minister also requested all motor vehicle users to obey traffic rules and desist from dangerous driving which will endanger their lives and that of others.
As per statistics, accident related casualties increased in Odisha by nearly 11 percent in 2018 compared to 2017. While 4,790 accident deaths were reported in the State in 2017, the casualty figure shot to 5,315 in 2018.
