In a bid to ensure road discipline and tighten enforcement in the road network of the State, field-level Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) officials have been asked to concentrate on six ‘grave traffic offences’ that can lead to suspension of the driving licence of erring motorists.
Speeding, red light jumping, overload in goods carriages, driving motor vehicles under the influence of alcohol and drugs, using mobile phone while driving, and ferrying persons in goods carriages are the grave traffic offences listed by the Supreme Court committee on road safety. All field-level officers from the Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector (AMVI), the Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) to the Joint Regional Transport Officer (Jt. RTO) have been asked by Transport Commissioner R. Sreelekha to detect at least 10 such cases every month and to keep tabs on the habitual traffic violations.
Safe Kerala project
The directive comes in the wake of the review of the MVD’s Safe Kerala project that is aimed at reducing accidents and fatalities. It has also come amid the law-enforcers cracking the whip on motorists and pillion riders, including children above four years, not wearing the headgear from December 1 as mandated in the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act, 2019.
“Only the fear of law and punishment such as imposing fine and suspension of driving licence can bring the traffic offences under control,” the commissioner says.
The officers have also been asked to look into ‘substantial offences’ like non-payment of motor vehicle tax, parallel services, illicit taxies, stage carrier operation by contract carriages, and operation without certificate of fitness, permit and insurance certificate.
Special attention will be given to accident-prone areas by carrying out night checking and patrolling of vulnerable stretches. The Transport Commissioner has reminded officers the desire of the Supreme Court committee to reduce the fatality rate annually by 10%.
To achieve the goal, the AMVI, MVI and Jt. RTOs under the RTO in the 14 districts, AMVI and MVI in the 15 check-posts of the MVD across the State, and the officers in the Mobile Enforcement Squad and Flying Squads have been given different monthly targets.
Pillion riders booked
Meanwhile, the department has started booking pillion riders travelling without helmets.
On Monday, the MVD officials booked 91 pillion riders across the State. As many as 455 motorcyclists were booked for not wearing helmet. A total of 77 travelling in cars without wearing the seat belt were also booked.
The MVD collected ₹2,50,500 as penalty from the motorcyclists, pillion riders and others.
