Concerns grow over road safety in Bhubaneswar as accident-related deaths continue to increase

Residents of Bhubaneswar are increasingly alarmed by the frequency of road accidents in the Capital City, raising questions over the efficacy of current measures against reckless drivers and drunkards. Despite the observance of ‘Road Safety Week’ by the Transport Department, the situation remains dire. 

A recent severe accident at Raj Bhavan Square underscores the escalating danger. Two elderly brothers, aged 65 and 67 from the Gajapati district, tragically lost their lives when a speeding car collided with their motorcycle. Two other motorcyclists sustained serious injuries in the crash. The driver is said to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time.

“If a person makes an accident near a place like Raj Bhavan Square in an inebriated condition in the day time, there should be criminal proceeding of murder against him. It is not an accidental death. He made the accident intentionally for which two valuable lives were lost and four others were seriously injured. In these cases, driving license is suspended. However, it is again restored after six months. Those who are causing these kinds of accidents, their driving licenses should be suspended for their whole life,” said road safety expert Subrat Nanda.

Local residents have expressed growing unease as similar accidents occur with worrying frequency, pushing road safety experts to express deep concern. Since the beginning of the year, nine fatalities have been recorded in the capital within a span of just 19 days. An accident on January 1 saw a truck fatally run over a woman at Palasuni Square.

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Additional incidents have been reported in Tamando, Maitrivihar and Bharatpur areas, while a separate Mo Bus accident on November 2 in Chandrasekharpur resulted in a young woman losing a hand. On December 28, another shocking accident near Xavier Square occurred when a purportedly intoxicated driver caused multiple collisions.

As roads in Bhubaneswar turn increasingly hazardous, intellectuals and safety advocates demand stringent enforcement of traffic laws. 

“NHAI is first responsible for the accidents taking place on National Highways. Many accidents are happening due to illegal parking. BMC is also not able to stop animals straying on roads and that is also one of the reasons why so many accidents are happening in Bhubaneswar,” said Narayan Prusty, a local resident.

Present statistics show that approximately 15 lives are lost daily, with some 28 individuals getting injured on Odisha roads. There is mounting public pressure to address the issue of negligent and reckless drivers.