The Traffic Management Committee of Cuttack city has decided that henceforth children below 18 years would not be allowed to ride any vehicle. At a meeting held on Friday, the district Regional Transport Office (RTO) clarified that earlier below-18-years were issued licences to ride vehicles without gear having less than 55 cc engine capacity.
“Since such vehicles are now not available in the market, children below 18 years will not be allowed to ride any vehicle,” said an official of the Transport Department.
He further said wide campaigning would now be made in all schools and colleges and after adequate sensitisation punitive actions would be taken against the erring.
The committee also decided to extend the prepaid auto services in some more areas of the city. While the prepaid auto service is now available at the Cuttack railway station, it would also be introduced at the Badambadi bus terminus and the SCB Medical College and Hospital campus, where necessary infrastructure would be in place soon.
Meanwhile, looking at the narrow lanes and by-lanes of the city, the Commissionerate police on Saturday added 26 more motorcycles to patrol the city as part of the mobile Police Control Room (PCR) service. Police Commissioner RK Sharma flagged off the service at a brief ceremony. The city police had six motorcycle PCRs earlier.
The Police Commissioner said the mobile PCRs, apart from their regular service of patrolling, would keep a strong vigil on antisocial elements and persons moving suspiciously and report them to the nearby police stations.
“The motorcycle PCRs will also intercept the antisocial elements and rash drivers on the road,” Sharma said, adding that these personnel would give a major boost to the PCRs in giving a better service to the people by reducing the police response time.