Bhubaneswar: In a major relief for people, the Odisha Government on Wednesday relaxed the deadline to impose the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 by three more months. However, no relaxation will be made against rash and drunken driving, over speeding, driving against flow of traffic, using mobile while driving, triple riding on two-wheeler, overloading and jumping red light.
The Government had implemented the Act on September 1, but deferred it till December 1 following the direction of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik because of massive resentment among people against the hefty fines.
Commerce and Transport Minister Padmanabha Behera informed the Assembly that this extension is being given for the last time and no further extension will be granted.
“Based on the feedback received from various parts of the State during enforcement of amended MV Act, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had allowed three months to the public to ensure compliance to various provisions of the Act,” said the Minister.
The Minister said about 9.5 lakh applications have been received for learners’ licence (LL) out of which 5.45 lakh LL have been issued. Only 3.48 lakh of LL were issued during the past three months. Besides, one lakh driving licences have also been issued furing the past three months, added the Minister.
Earlier in the day, BJD and Congress members raised the sufferings of people at RTOs to get compliance to various provisions of the Act in the Assembly demanded that the re-enforcement of the new traffic rules be extended for another few months.
BJD member Debi Prasad Mishra, Pradip Maharathy and Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati demanded that Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro instruct the Government to relax the re-imposition of the new fines. Considering the concerns of the members, Speaker said that the Government may consider its decision on re-implantation of the new fines under the amended Act.
