Bhubaneswar: In a significant milestone for Odisha’s road safety journey, a high-level meeting was chaired by Director General of Police (DGP) IPS YB Khurania and Transport Commissioner, Special Director General of Police, CID, CB Vinyotosh Mishra and Chairman cum Commissioner of State Transport Authority Amitabh Thakur.
The meeting focused on implementing a comprehensive road safety plan devised by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) in collaboration with the state government.
Key Highlights:
– IITM’s 3-Year Roadmap: IITM presented its vision for enhancing road safety in Odisha, outlining strategic interventions and initiatives for the next three years.
– Sadak Suraksha Bal (SSB): The concept of SSB, a specialized task force comprising retired ex-servicemen, was discussed to support the state in enforcing road safety regulations.
– Data-Driven Interventions: IITM plans to create data-driven enforcement and intervention strategies using Naksha, a platform consisting of two applications: Field Perception Survey and Sanjaya.
– Zero Accident Day for Bhubaneswar: The Zero Accident Day (ZAD) initiative was launched to reinforce positive behavioral change through awareness campaigns and incentivizing good road user practices.
– Capacity Building of Crash Investigating Officers: IITM will conduct capacity-building workshops for Investigating Officers (IOs) based on the Root Cause Analysis Matrix (RCAM) framework.
The meeting was attended by other senior officials, including Special Director General of Police, CID, CB Vinyotosh Mishra, Additional Transport Commissioner Dipti Ranjan Patra, Joint Transport Commissioner Pradeep Mohanty, Nodal Officer of State Project, Gangadhar Sahoo (Retd IAS)
Prof. Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Head of Centre of Excellence for Road Safety at IITM, presented a comprehensive presentation on road safety management and data-driven interventions. He emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach to road safety, highlighting the need for collective efforts from the state government, IITM, and other stakeholders.
DGP IPS YB Khurania stressed the importance of enforcement and road safety, stating that “road accidents can be controlled through engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency measures”. He highlighted the need for collective efforts to make Odisha a model state for road safety in India.
The meeting marked a significant step towards transforming Odisha’s road safety landscape, with the state government, IITM, and other stakeholders working together to reduce road accidents and promote safety awareness.
