Bhubaneswar, Dec 7 (IANS): Odisha Transport Minister Padmanabha Behera on Sunday informed that strict traffic rules under the new Motor Vehicle (MV) Act will be enforced again in the state from January 2021.

He said the transport officials and police have been instructed to intensify the vehicle checking from the beginning of the next year.

"Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the traffic norms were relaxed in the state. Now, the Supreme Court Committee has pulled up all the states for not enforcing the amended MV Act strictly. Before the strict enforcement, awareness will be spread among people this month regarding the new rules," said Behera.

The Minister said a meeting presided over the Chief Secretary has recently decided to enforce the law strictly from January.

The State Transport Authority (STA) said that driving licenses will be suspended for three months for violation of the traffic norms.

"As per the directions of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, DL will be suspended for three months for driving above the speed limit, red light jumping, drunken driving, using a mobile phone while driving, carrying passengers in a goods vehicle, not wearing a helmet on two-wheelers," the STA said in a tweet.