Noida: Over 1,200 vehicles penalised for violating COVID-19 curbs

Owners of more than 1,200 vehicles were penalised across Noida and Greater Noida on Thursday for alleged violation of curbs imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police said.

Also, three vehicles were impounded for similar violation during a 24-hour period till Thursday night, the police said, even as "Unlock 2" -- the phased re-opening of activities that had been barred to contain the spread of COVID-19 -- began in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) Section 144, which bars assembly of more than four persons, is in force in Gautam Buddh Nagar, whose urban areas fall in the 'Red Zone' for COVID-19.

"Four FIRs were registered over violation of CrPC 144. A total of 2,185 vehicles were checked across 200 barrier points in the district and challans issued to 1,236 of them, while another three were impounded," the police said in a statement.

Altogether, Rs 1,89,400 was collected in fines during the action, the police said.

The Noida-Delhi border continues to remain sealed for movement except for essential services and people having passes issued by the district administration, according to officials.

The Centre on Monday had issued guidelines for the month-long "Unlock 2" from Wednesday.

The "Unlock 1", a graded exit from the national lockdown imposed on March 25, ended on Tuesday.

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to tow the Centre's guidelines in the state where educational institutions, metro services, cinema halls and gyms will continue to remain shut.

There is no ban on intrastate and interstate movement of people and goods, senior UP government officials said.

However, the district administration, police and health department officials of Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad can impose a ban at the local level after consulting each other, they said.

Both the districts had sealed their borders with Delhi in view of the high rate of COVID-19 cases in the national capital in a bid to break the chain of transmission of coronavirus.