Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is planning to develop 30 dedicated truck terminals near national highways across the state in a move aimed at improving road safety and providing better facilities for long-haul truck drivers. Construction of 15 terminals has already been completed, officials said on Monday.
The initiative is also intended to address the problem of heavy vehicles being parked illegally along highways, a practice that often poses serious risks to other road users and contributes to fatal accidents.
The Commerce & Transport Department signed an MoU with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) on Monday for the management, operational efficiency and day-to-day maintenance of the modern truck terminals being developed across the state.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Commerce & Transport Department Principal Secretary N B S Rajput, Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur, IOCL State Head Kamal Seal and DGM Sachindra Guni.
Deeptiranjan Patra, Additional Transport Commissioner (Road Safety), signed the MoU on behalf of the Transport Department, while Chiranjib Poddar, State Retail Head, signed on behalf of IOCL.
Officials said more than 300 people lose their lives every year in Odisha in crashes involving vehicles parked unsafely on roads. Long-haul truck drivers travelling from different states often park their vehicles along highway stretches and use roadside areas for cooking and resting, increasing the risk of accidents.
The proposed terminals are being equipped with dedicated parking spaces, rest areas for drivers, canteens, drinking water facilities, vehicle repair garages, EV charging stations and other essential amenities.
The government plans to encourage truck drivers currently parking their vehicles at hazardous locations along highways to use the dedicated terminals instead.
The arrangement with IOCL is expected to ensure better upkeep and efficient operation of the facilities, while also making them more useful for truckers travelling long distances.
Officials said the initiative would not only provide safer parking and better amenities to truck drivers but also help reduce accidents and fatalities caused by vehicles being parked at unsafe locations along highways.
The project is part of the state’s efforts to strengthen road safety infrastructure and create safer travelling conditions on national highways across Odisha.
