Odisha RTOs ignore DL suspension proposals by Cyberabad police
BHUBANESWAR: Cyberabad police in Telangana has expressed displeasure with the Odisha transport department for not suspending the driving licences (DLs) of 21 persons, who were caught driving under the influence of alcohol in their city in recent past. Vehicles of the 21 offenders were registered with different regional transport offices (RTOs) in Odisha.
The Cyberabad traffic police had seized the 21 DLs between January and March this year and sent them to the concerned RTOs in Odisha for immediate suspension for three months in compliance with the directive by the Supreme Court committee on road safety, which oversees implementation of traffic rules in the country.
The apex court committee on road safety had on August 18, 2015 directed all states to suspend DLs of drivers for three months towards four offences. Those offences are driving in excess speed, carrying overload in goods carriages, driving under the influence of alcohol/drug and use of mobile phone while driving.
“Cyberabad traffic police have been regularly sending proposals along with the seized DLs to different RTOs in Odisha for disqualification of the DLs of certain persons, who were caught for drink driving in our police limits. Another proposal was sent for suspension of a DL, whose owner had caused a road accident,” Cyberabad traffic DCP, S M Vijay Kumar wrote to Odisha transport department’s secretary Madhusudan Padhi recently.
Vijay Kumar said not a single DL was suspended. “Till now, there has been no communication from any of the concerned RTOs regarding actions taken by them. On our verification, it was found there had been no action taken on our proposals,” Vijay Kumar wrote.
He said the 21 persons were caught driving in a drunken state under Alwal, Balanagar, Gachibowli, Jeedimelta, Kukatpally, Madhapur, Miyapur, Rajendranagar and RGI Airport traffic police limits. The seized DLs were sent to RTOs at Dhenkanal, Balasore, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Bhubaneswar, Koraput and Sonepur for disqualification for three months.
In his letter, he drew the attention of Padhi about rising cases of road accidents in Cyberabad and the necessity of suspending the DLs of the rash drivers. “Disqualification of the DLs of the rash drivers is a stringent measure to help curb indiscipline on roads,” Vijay Kumar said.
Padhi said he already sent a letter on Monday to the RTOs to immediately act on the proposals, relating to DL suspension, sent by the Cyberabad traffic police.