Bhubaneswar, February 11: Commerce and Transport Secretary Usha Padhee on Tuesday directed officials to focus on proactive accident preventive measures like black spot rectification, implementation of the Intelligent Enforcement Management System (IEMS), and compliance with the guidelines of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety (SCCoRS).
Padhee chaired a review meeting at Kharabela Bhawan to assess the on-going initiatives and charting strategic interventions to create a safer, more secure transportation network across the State. The meeting was attested by OSRTC CMD Diptesh Kumar Pattanayak, Excise Secretary Poonam T Guha, STA Secretary Chinmay Biswal, representatives from IIT Madras, and officials from the departments of Commerce & Transport, Health & Family Welfare and School & Mass Education.
Rising road accidents in certain districts, particularly in the mining belt, were flagged as a major concern. Participants emphasized the need for enhanced enforcement strategies, stricter compliance monitoring, and robust emergency response mechanisms.
IIT Madras, the state’s technical partner, presented innovative data-driven approaches, including scientific crash investigations, road safety awareness campaigns, and capacity-building initiatives for enforcement agencies.
The state’s four-pronged approach—engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency care—was reviewed comprehensively. While initiatives such as highway patrolling, road safety awareness drives, and trauma care enhancement were acknowledged for their positive impact, challenges like pending e-challan disposals, inadequate enforcement manpower, and gaps in road engineering safety features were highlighted as requiring immediate resolution.
The government outlined several priority initiatives, including the accelerated rollout of IEMS across additional highway stretches, deployment of more highway patrolling vehicles, and the establishment of new Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) centers.
Strengthening district-level road safety action plans, creating truck terminals at key locations, enhancing post-accident response mechanisms, and engaging Junior Rakshaks in road safety awareness campaigns were emphasized as focus areas. A significant development is the ongoing process to amend the Odisha Motor Vehicle Rules, 1993 following amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Act and Rules which will include provisions for the cancellation of driving licenses for habitual offenders among others.
Additionally, the Government is working on the two-way integration of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) with e-DAR (electronic Detailed Accident Report) to seamlessly exchange accidents data and diligent analysis of the accidents.
Reaffirming Odisha’s unwavering commitment to reducing road accidents and fatalities, Commerce & Transport Secretary Usha Padhee emphasized the importance of data-driven decision-making, leveraging technology, and strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships. She urged all stakeholders to work in close coordination and adopt a time-bound approach to achieve the state’s ambitious target of a 50% reduction in road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030, in alignment with national and global road safety goals.
