Cuttack: The Odisha government on Tuesday reviewed ongoing road safety measures and called for stricter enforcement of traffic rules to curb the rising number of road accidents across the state.
A high-level review meeting was held under the direction of Commerce & Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, where Transport Commissioner held discussions with Deputy Transport Commissioners (DTCs), Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) and Additional Regional Transport Officers (ARTOs) to strengthen road safety programmes.
The meeting, conducted at the State Transport Authority (STA) office, saw senior officials participating in person while field officers joined virtually. Officials were directed to intensify enforcement drives and ensure strict compliance with traffic regulations at the district level.
Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur expressed concern over the steady rise in road accidents, describing it as a serious issue requiring immediate and sustained intervention. He said the government has mandated strict enforcement measures and asked RTOs to act decisively at the ground level.
He said reckless driving and repeated violation of traffic norms continue to pose a major risk to public safety. “Enforcement must be planned, consistent and effective to bring down accidents,” he said.
The Commissioner identified key violations requiring strict monitoring, including drunk driving, overloading of passengers in goods vehicles, illegal parking on highways, unauthorized modification of vehicles affecting stability, and use of mobile phones while driving.
He also stressed the need for coordinated action between departments and district administrations to address accident-prone zones and local road safety challenges.
RTOs, he said, must go beyond enforcement and also take up the role of awareness creators by educating the public on traffic rules and their consequences. Road safety, he added, should be treated as a mass awareness campaign involving citizens.
The meeting also reviewed the performance of RTOs in delivering transport-related services over the past year. Officials indicated that road safety performance will now be a key parameter in assessing RTO performance.
The Transport Minister also reviewed ongoing reforms in the transport sector, including improvements in driving licence issuance, enhanced vehicle fitness monitoring, and increased use of technology to track and curb reckless driving.
Officials were instructed to strengthen monitoring of passenger vehicles to ensure maximum safety standards. They were also directed to identify accident-prone stretches and take corrective measures on a priority basis.
