Traffic policemen fine a motorcyclist and another traffic cop removes dark film from the window of a four-wheeler during the enforcement drive in Cuttack. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Dec. 14: Police have booked over 500 persons so far for violating traffic rules in the ongoing month-long special drive.

Over 350 have were penalised for not wearing helmets, seat belts, rash driving and use of fancy number plates on the third day of the special drive here yesterday.

Senior officials said the traffic cops had intensified the enforcement of traffic rules in city and on the national highway.

The month-long drive has been launched to sensitise people and at the same time penalise traffic violators at multiple locations.

“We have launched a special drive to create awareness and also start enforcement of various traffic violations in the city,” said assistant commissioner of police (traffic) P.K. Dalai.

Dalai said that more than 50 other people were penalised for not wearing seatbelts, use of black films on car windows and overloading. Each of the offenders were fined Rs 500 each.

Apart from this, 305 persons were slapped with Rs 100 fines each for not wearing helmets, driving without a valid licence, triple ridding and speaking on mobile phones while driving yesterday.

Senior traffic officials said that in a similar drive on NH-5 connecting Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, around 60 persons were fined for driving without helmets and other traffic violations on December 3.

Sources said the drive has been launched to eliminate the use of dark films and tinted glasses, which are still being used by a large number of four-wheelers in the city.

The police had launched a drive against tinted glass and black films for the first time in 2012 following a Supreme Court order.

According to the provisions under section 100(2) of the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1989, use of dark, black and reflective glasses on vehicles is not permissible.

The Supreme Court had also imposed restrictions on the use of black films of any visual light transmission percentage or any other material on safety glasses, windscreens and side glasses of all four-wheelers. The rule allows vehicle owner to use glasses with VLT specification of minimum 70 per cent for front and rear windscreens and 50 percent for side windows.

Traffic officials said that a crackdown on use of fancy number plates would also be carried out during the special drive in the city.

“We welcome the initiative to penalise traffic violators because it will help ensure road discipline and the safety of the motorists as well,” said Shayama Das, a commuter.

Das said motorists needed to be more careful and should always carry a driving licence and other documents when they drive.