16,820 DLs suspended in Odisha in Jan, Feb for road safety violations

Bhubaneswar: The Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) across Odisha have suspended 16,820 driving licences during January and February for violations of road safety rules.

As per the directions of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, the DLs are suspended for a period of three months for violations like over speeding, drunken driving, red light jumping, using mobile phone while driving, overload, carrying passengers in goods vehicle and not wearing helmet by rider or pillion. The DL is suspended even in the first instance of violation in these cases.

During the two months, 1,922 DLs were suspended due to speeding, 316 for drunken driving, 1,322 for using mobile phones, 282 for red light jumping, 387 for over loading, 313 for carrying passengers in goods vehicle, 11,613 for not wearing helmet by rider or pillion.

In January, 7,960 DLs and in February 8,860 DLs were suspended.

The Odisha government has made it mandatory for both rider and pillion to use helmet effective from January 1 , 2021.

The RTO Bhubaneswar1 suspended 3,016 DLs, followed by the RTO Cuttack with 3,003 DL suspensions during January and February. The RTO Rourkela suspended 1,483 DLs in the two months.

An official of the State Transport Authority, Odisha, said in order to reduce the deaths due road accidents, the drive against road safety violations will be further intensified jointly by RTOs and Police.