Hit-and-Run Incidents on rise in Gandhinagar, RTO in action

Gandhinagar : In a bid to curb the increasing number of hit-and-run incidents similar to those seen in metro cities, Gandhinagar has intensified its road safety enforcement. Over the past month, the Gandhinagar Regional Transport Office (RTO) has imposed fines totaling more than 27 lakh rupees on vehicle drivers, creating widespread awareness and concern among those who flout traffic rules.

This aggressive enforcement is part of a special drive launched by the RTO to promote adherence to road safety regulations. By taking stringent measures, the RTO aims to control hit-and-run cases, which are a primary cause of many accidents in the district. During this period, 390 cases of over-speeding were registered, resulting in fines amounting to over 7.80 lakh rupees, with 66,000 rupees already collected by the authorities.

The crackdown on traffic violations is not limited to over-speeding. In June alone, the RTO fined violators a total of 27.07 lakh rupees across 19 different offenses, with 15.96 lakh rupees recovered and deposited into the government’s account. This heightened vigilance comes in the wake of two recent fatalities caused by road accidents. The RTO has been diligently working over the past month to reduce accident rates by conducting various safety drives and educating motorists on the importance of safe driving.

Motorists have been given a 90-day window to settle their fines. The RTO has recorded violations across a spectrum of 19 different rules, with over-speeding being the most common offense. In the last month alone, 840 cases were registered for violations such as not wearing seat belts, illegal parking, lack of vehicle insurance, not wearing helmets, road safety breaches, pollution under control (PUC) certificate violations, and absence of proper number plates.

A dedicated eight-member team of inspectors and other RTO employees has been conducting spot checks at various locations and times to catch violators. The majority of over-speeding cases were reported on the National Highway passing through the district, although state highways also saw significant numbers of violations.