Police officers fine traffic violators on the streets of Cuttack. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, March 17: Continuing its crackdown on traffic rules violators, police have collected fines amounting to nearly Rs 10 lakh in the last 15 days in the city.

Though drives against illegal parking and traffic violations are carried out regularly, a massive drive was launched this month in various parts of the city, including the NH-5 that passes through the city.

“As per the direction of the honourable high court, a committee headed by commissioner of police has been formed. The committee has launched a series of drives to check traffic violations in the city,” said deputy commissioner of police Amitendra Nath Sinha.

Apart from illegal parking of two-wheelers and four-wheelers, fines are also being collected from drivers for traffic offences as various as driving without helmets, triple riding, using multi-tone horns, using mobile phones while driving, and drunken driving.

A radar and interceptor vehicles have also been put on use in city streets and the national highway to put a check on rash driving. The radar, which uses laser radiation, can detect the speed of a vehicle from a distance of 1km.

The radar can also give a print of the registration number of the vehicle with its photo and the place of detection. The hi-tech gadgets are being placed on the national highway.

“Our prime objective is to streamline traffic system in the city and enforcement is a part of it. So far, we have collected fines amounting to nearly Rs 10 lakh from traffic violators in the city in the past 15 days,” said assistant commissioner of police (ACP) traffic, Krushna Samal.

According to traffic sources, around 3,000 two-wheelers, 150 heavy vehicles, 37 four-wheelers have been fined for traffic violations in the last two weeks. Fines ranging from Rs 100 to 500 for illegal parking, Rs 500 for overspeeding and Rs 100 for driving without helmets have been collected from the violators.

Apart from this, special drive is also being launched against drunken driving as breath analysers are being used to detect such cases in the city.

“There has been a positive response to a series of awareness drives that have been launched in the past. We are committed to streamline traffic system in the city and are working to that effect. Such drives will continue in the coming days also,” Samal added.

“The move of the city police to regulate traffic system is a step we all should welcome. If such enforcement continues, it will send a message to drivers to strictly follow traffic rules in the city,” said Nishikant Nayak (35).