Odisha to recruit 500 traffic personnel, equip buses with smart devices for road safety
BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday announced that the state government would create 2,000 traffic police posts and recruit 500 traffic personnel this year to strengthen road safety in Odisha.
Inaugurating the state-level celebration of National Road Safety Month here, Majhi highlighted the alarming statistics of road accidents in the state.
“More than 47,000 lives have been lost in road accidents in the state in the last 10 years. This is very worrying. Everyone should make efforts to reduce the number of deaths in road accidents. The time has come, road safety should be made a public movement,” he said.
With the slogan ‘Come Home Safe’, the chief minister appealed to everyone to follow road safety rules and return home safely. He emphasised the need to spread awareness to every city and village, urging individuals, institutions, and organisations from all sections of society to join the campaign.
The chief minister also announced that buses would be equipped with smart devices to improve road safety and reduce accidents. The state government will assist private bus owners in installing these devices, which will help detect various issues of negligence and prevent drunk driving.
While the installation of vehicle location tracking devices (VLTD) has been made mandatory in all commercial vehicles, the smart devices to be installed in buses will analyse braking, detect steering problems and other mechanical failures, and alert drivers if they fall asleep while driving.
Majhi administered the road safety pledge to drivers, NCC cadets, and the general public on the occasion. He advised everyone to pledge to travel safely by following traffic rules and to take responsibility for the safety of other road users.
The chief minister also launched the ‘Odisha Yatri App’ to provide affordable and convenient travel options to the public. Through this app, people can easily book autos and taxis to their destination with just one click. This system will be beneficial for both drivers and passengers.
He flagged off a road safety rath, which will tour every district to create awareness throughout the month.
Accompanied by officials and other guests, Majhi walked from Station Square to Ram Mandir Chhak as part of an awareness campaign. During the padayatra, he inaugurated a free temporary eye examination centre near the Gurudwara.
At a programme organised near Ram Mandir, he felicitated Good Samaritans who saved the lives of road accident victims.
Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr Krishna Chandra Mahapatra, MLAs Sidhant Mohapatra, Akash Das Nayak, and Babu Singh, along with Mayor Sulochana Das, were present among others.
