In a decisive move to tame the city’s relentless cacophony, the Traffic Wing of the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissionerate launched a targeted enforcement operation today, ripping out pressure horns from 62 buses and slapping fines totaling Rs. 31,000 on errant operators.
The crackdown, aimed at slashing noise pollution and bolstering road safety, unfolded under the direct oversight of Commissioner of Police Dr. S. Dev Datta Singh, IPS.
Guided by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic)\ Tapan Kumar Mohanty, SAG (OPS-S), and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Umakant Pradhan (OPS), the drive zeroed in on high-traffic hotspots, including Vani Vihar, Baramunda, and the vicinity of Hotel Crown. Traffic Police Stations 1 and 2 led the charge, with PS-1 penalising 26 buses and PS-2 nabbing 36 more for flouting rules on pressure and obnoxious horns.
Violators were booked under the relevant sections of the Odisha Urban Police Act (OUPA), underscoring the authorities’ zero-tolerance stance on auditory assaults that plague urban commuters.
This operation forms a key pillar of the ongoing “Safe City Drive” initiative, a broader campaign designed to foster quieter, safer streets across Bhubaneswar. By curbing such violations, the police aim to cultivate a more livable urban environment, where the roar of engines gives way to the hum of harmonious traffic.