Odisha Transport Department To Conduct Road Signage Audit On 3000 Km Road

The Transport department will undertake an audit of signage on roads across Odisha. The move is aimed at making the roads in the State signage complaint.

Sources said the move will also play a crucial role in identifying engineering defects on the roads in the backdrop of the rising road mishaps and a corresponding rise in fatalities. Simple road engineering interventions like provision of appropriate road markings and traffic signs, minor layout changes in the road junctions are tested measures which significantly reduce road accidents.

“Road signages help drivers by giving them advance warning in case of hazards. Faulty road signage and signals are often responsible for massive traffic jams, road accidents and pile-ups. Many times road signs are wrongly placed or hidden,” the Transport department said in its’ observation which is based on the findings of a pilot project.

The small sample audit (pilot project) of road signage and marking on SH-10 (Biju Expressway) from Deokaranpur to Keseibahal, 50 km stretch in Sundargarh district was conducted with the help of experts.

The study revealed that there is a need for more signs to warn, inform, guide, control or delineate the road users. It also found that the pavement markings are not conspicuous and continuous at some places. The study further suggested that lack of signage may cause confusion at intersections and inadequate signage can cause accident.

The Indian Road Congress code has set several parameters for three types of road signs—regulatory, warning and informative. The parameters include characteristics, installation, location and visibility for correct application.

The Transport department has decided to scale up the pilot project initiative at the State level. As per the decision, an audit of road markings and signage for 3000 km roads across the State will be carried out as part of the initiative.