Odisha: 5.87 lakh learner's driving licence issued in 3 months after implementation of new MV Act

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], Dec 5 (ANI): Odisha witnessed a massive surge in application and issuance of driving licenses as the state recorded 5.87 lakh learner's license being issued in a period from September 1 to November, 30.
According to the State Transport Authority, during three months period from September to November 2019, all the RTOs in Odisha have issued 5.87 lakh learners license, whereas, in the whole year 2018, only 3.48 lakh learner's licenses were issued in the state.
In the period from September to November 2018, only 84 thousand learner's licenses were issued in the state, hence marking a jump of over seven times as compared to the same period of the previous year.
"As per the directions of Chief Minister, state transport authority has taken various steps to increase testing capacity by providing more computers, conducting camps in far off places and opening offices beyond regular hours and on holidays," read a statement from Transport Department.
State Transport Authority had also authorised 1074 Pollution Testing Units (PTU) to conduct the PUC test adding 834 units in the last three months.
Before September 1, 2019, there were only 240 authorised PTUs in the state and there was a huge queue in the PTU, the department added.
Sharing details of the pollution certificates issued in the said time period, the department outlined that as many as 21.9 lakh online PUC certificates have been issued to the vehicles in the last three months.
In a reply in Lok Sabha in November, the centre had said that over 38 lakh challans have been issued since the implementation of the new Motor Vehicles Act and fines of Rs 577 crore have been realised.
The Motor Vehicles Act 2019 came into effect from September 1 this year. (ANI)