The operation of the mobile enforcement squad under the Motor Vehicle Department in the northern region is moving to a total standstill with the decreasing number of staff being posted on regular duty.
Though the special squad, constituted in the year 2012 is having an official strength of 24 officers to keep tab on violations, most of them are now handling other responsibilities in the department.
As per the order issued by the government during the formation of the northern region squad, the Motor vehicle department is supposed to reserve the service of eight Motor Vehicle Inspectors and 16 Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspectors exclusively for coordinating the enforcement duties. They have to cover Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod and Wayanad districts on a regular basis to check motor vehicle act violations.
Sources with the Motor Vehicle Department said the issue could be settled only through a stringent order from the department higher-ups preventing the internal exchange of responsibilities for administrative purposes. The irregular practice could be stopped to a great extent with the judicial distribution of the existing staff for a specific tenure with the enforcement wing, they hinted.
Along with the thinning staff strength, the limited number of modern accessories for on-road checking is also making the squad toothless on their job. For the entire districts of Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasaragod and Kannur, there is only one interceptor for tracking over-speeding vehicles. Reflective jackets, signal batons and alcometres are also lacking for the squad members.
According to MVD sources, the decibel metres supplied to check the noise pollution of vehicles in restricted area are also remaining useless without having a printer. Only through a printed record, the MVD officials would be able to convince the violators of their charge, they pointed out.
More focus on the enforcement squad could have added to the government exchequer. An average of Rs.20 lakh is the monthly generation of income by the Enforcement squad with its limited checking facilities.
