Bhubaneswar: The State Transport Authority (STA) has launched a special enforcement drive with regard to the road safety rules in Odisha. 

The special enforcement drive has been launched as per the direction of Commerce and Transport (C&T) Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, said the STA. 

Departmental Principal Secretary Usha Padhee is supervising the drive. Under the leadership of Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur, RTO teams across the state launched the drive, it added.

Altogether 275 vehicles were issued challans for overloading while 536 vehicles were penalized for fitness-related violations in last three days. In total, 2,532 challans were issued, 401 fitness certificates were cancelled, and fines to the tune of Rs 56,37,632 was collected, said the STA.

The highest number of 25 overloading cases were reported from Sambalpur RTO, followed by 15 from Angul, 14 each from Cuttack, Keonjhar and Ganjam, and 13 from Kalahandi.

Similarly, the highest number of 68 fitness-related violations were reported from Bhubeneswar-I RTO, followed by 50 from Cuttack, 39 from Bhanjanagar, 35 from Khurda, 29 from Jajpur and 26 from Sonepur.

The officials have cancelled the fitness certificates of 60 vehicles in Jagatsinghpur, 26 in Sonepur, 17 in Keonjhar, 18 in Angul (18) and 14 in Koraput.

They have collected fines to the tune of Rs 9,98,520 in the jurisdiction of Angul RTO, Rs 3,79,235 in Chandikhol, Rs 3,23,195 in Jharsuguda, Rs 5,13,836 in Balangir, Rs 2,51,975 in Cuttack, Rs 2,03,203 in Angul, and Rs 4,34,538 in Barbil.

The STA, meanwhile, said that the enforcement will be made more stringent in the coming days, and strict action will be taken against the violators as per the Motor Vehicles Act.