Even as RTO officials are going all out against traffic violators, the Congress on Monday alleged that the State Government is only creating a sense of fear among commuters.
Reacting to the allegations of misbehaviour by police personnel during checking of vehicles, Congress MLA Suresh Routray said the Government is creating an environment of fear for the commuters. “People commuting to important places like hospitals and schools are facing a lot of inconveniences due to the strict enforcement of the new MV Act,” he told reporters.
However, refuting Routray’s allegations, Transport Minister Padmanabha Behera said, “We don’t encourage such behaviour. All RTOs have been directed not to misbehave with any commuter during checking. Since September 2019, there has been a decline of 50 per cent in the number of road accidents in the State due to the strict enforcement of the MV Act. We further aim to reduce the number of accidents and protect human lives,” he added.
Notably, a whopping amount of fine of Rs 1.06 crore was collected from traffic rule violators across the State under the amended MV Act in the past 24 hours. The six-month relaxation period for implementation of the law came to an end on February 29, 2020.