Gangtok, January 06
66,703 plus motor vehicles will be checked and their documents and other such necessities will be verified by the police and motor vehicle officials for the next three months, starting today.
The Transport Department in coordination with the Police Department, Government of Sikkim are organising a three-month-long Road Safety Drive cum Enforcement Drive statewide. The checking will be undertaken at various locations in all four districts, simultaneously. The drive which shall kick-off at the same time in all four districts of Sikkim aims to leave no vehicle unchecked.
It may be recalled that the Transport Department recently on 04 December 2019, implemented the new Central Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 in Sikkim. Hence, this mass awareness drive which includes checking and verifying of vehicles comes in regard to the same.
“People of all sections will be educated and awareness will be spread during this drive which will start from January till the end of March 2020”, informed the Secretary, Transport Department, Raju Basnett. Adding that the department here has implemented the said central rule in the state with the approval of the state government, the Secretary expressed his hopefulness in the successful implementation of the MVA 2019and hoped that it will benefit the vehicle owners, drivers and commuters at large.
This effort by Transport Department in co-ordination with the Police is expected to reach every road user and help realize the taxes and the dues.
As informed, the department has devised a proper checking system by incorporating e-Challan application powered by NIC in mobile phone. ‘Checked’ stickers will be issued by the concerned department to each vehicle once thoroughly checked and verified to refrain from the hassle of undergoing rechecking. However, the vehicles will be rechecked in cases of overloading, drunken driving, etc. The department also intends to check all government vehicles, including that of the enforcement agencies.
The Secretary informed that the implementation of the said MVA 2019 has been successful in other states of India, which has resulted in less traffic rule violation and more disciplined traffic. With this positive feedback the Transport Department, Government of Sikkim also decided to implement the same here.
As per the new amended Act, the fines for various traffic rule violations have become almost tenfold more than that of the old fines.
The Deputy Regional Transport Officer, Karma Zimba Bhutia, said that there have been reports of road accidents and an increase in the number of deaths due to the same. Hence, implementation of MVA 2019 may help in curbing issues related to triad accidents, rash driving, over speeding, overloading and others.
During this three-month-long road safety awareness drive, the documents that will be checked and verified are the documents of the drivers and the vehicles which includes registration papers of the vehicle, insurance, driving license, road permits, vehicle fitness, etc.
The officials of the department have appealed all stakeholders to keep their documents updated to avoid fines and further adopt safe driving. It is also informed that if the officers and staff of the enforcing agencies like Transport Department and Police are found guilty of violating the motor vehicle rules, they will be fined double.
The department has further urged everyone to support this initiative in order to make traffic rules and driving a disciplined one in Sikkim.
