Kerala gets flak for not enforcing road safety norms
The Hindu
Tamper-proof registration plates, smart cards for licences yet to be introduced, says expert
National Road Safety Council member Kamal Soi has criticised the State government for failing to enforce high-security registration plates (HSRP) for old vehicles and introduce smart cards for driving licences and registration certificates issued in Kerala.
Accusing the government of violating Central Motor Vehicles Rules and the notifications issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Dr. Soi said on Thursday that Kerala was the only State not to implement the reform thus far.
While all motor vehicles manufactured after April 1, 2019, have been equipped with the tamper-proof HSRPs, the government has not taken any initiative to implement the directive for older vehicles.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.