Odisha Road Safety Drive: The Odisha State Transport Authority (STA) on Tuesday said it has issued 153 challans against juvenile drivers and seized 60 vehicles on the first day of a special drive to ensure road safety across the state. The Transport Department has launched a special enforcement drive across the state. 

On the first day of the special drive on Monday, the focus was on juvenile drivers. As a result, a total of 153 challans were issued, and 60 vehicles were seized, the department said in a statement. Rigorous inspections are being conducted under the 38 regional transport offices, including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Ganjam, Rourkela, Sambalpur, and Balasore.

Recently, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena directed the STA to take strict measures to reduce road accidents. “The Transport Department teams conducted inspections at key points and near schools and colleges. Many students, who were not of legal driving age and did not possess driving licenses, were found riding bikes and scooters to educational institutions,” the STA said.

The inspection teams caught the juvenile drivers under provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, which allows for a fine of Rs 25,000 against the parents or vehicle owners of juvenile drivers, and in some cases, even up to 3 years of imprisonment.

In May, a teenager allegedly involved in a car crash that killed two IT engineers was arrested in Pune, creating a nationwide uproar. Subsequently, the juvenile driver’s parents were jailed.

Despite such an incident, the STA has observed that many have not yet been serious, the statement said. The STA requested parents and educational institutions to take serious measures to prevent juvenile driving. This enforcement will continue in the coming days, said State Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur.

Despite various awareness campaigns, some reckless drivers have not yet reformed, and this step is being taken to catch them, he said. The enforcement will not be limited to juvenile driving but will also cover fitness, helmet, seat belt, speeding, and drunken driving issues, he added.