MVD to enforce lane traffic, action against defective number plates

The Motor Vehicle department (MVD) has decided to take strict action against lane traffic violations and vehicles plying with defective or fancy number plates in the State. A recent statement issued by the office of Transport Minister Antony Raju said the Central Motor Vehicles Act had clearly specified that registration number should be displayed both at the front and rear of all motor vehicles clearly and legibly.

Further, the MVD has issued specified norms regarding the size of fonts, both for letters and numbers and colour to be used on the registration plates for different categories of vehicles. The practice of tampering with number plates or bearing number plates with illegible or hidden will be strictly dealt with, the Minister said. Grilles and safety bars should not be fixed in front of the number plates so as to obscure their view. The Minister also directed the Transport Commissioner to enforce the law strictly and take strict action against offenders.

The MVD will launch a special drive to enforce lane traffic rules strictly along the National Highway in the State on Wednesday. Additional Transport Commissioner Pramoj Shankar will hold the State-level inauguration of the four-day drive here on the national highway 66 near Chakka in Thiruvananthapuram. Those who change lane without giving appropriate signals and drive dangerously along the highway will be booked.

Along with enforcing lane traffic, as part of the drive strict action would be taken against overspeeding, dangerous driving including under the grip of alcohol, signal jumping, driving while using cell phone, traffic violation regarding line/zebra line crossing, etc.

Meanwhile, the special drive ‘Safe School Bus’ conducted by the MVD to inspect vehicles used for transporting students to school has found over 1,800 irregularities in the school buses. The cases were charged for not carrying a first aid kit as prescribed in a transport vehicle having a permit, driving transport vehicle without wearing the prescribed uniform, drunken driving or under the influence of drugs, violation of permit conditions not relating to area or purpose, speed governor not fitted/tampered/not working, worn out tyres, indicators not working, emergency exit not properly maintained, faulty electrical wiring harness or fuses etc.