Bhubaneswar: The State Transport Authority (STA) of Odisha has issued a stern warning against fraudulent activities involving the collection of money under the guise of road safety drives. This alert follows multiple reports from Sundargarh district, where individuals have been posing as officials to extort money from vehicle drivers.
Joint Transport Commissioner (Road Safety), Pradeep Kumar Mohanty, emphasized that no one has been authorized to collect funds for road safety initiatives. “Vehicle owners and drivers should not trust or pay these imposters,” he stated. The STA has directed all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) to take immediate action if such incidents are reported in their areas.
Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur has instructed the Sundargarh RTO to lodge complaints with the police against those involved in these illegal activities. He also discussed the issue with the District Collector and Superintendent of Police, urging strict legal action to curb these fraudulent practices.
The STA has appealed to the public to report any such incidents to their local transport authorities. These fraudsters are often from outside the state and primarily target vehicles in border districts and mining areas, particularly trucks and buses.
This warning aims to protect the public from being deceived and to ensure that genuine road safety efforts are not undermined by such fraudulent activities123.
