Bhubaneswar: A day after the tragic incident in which 19 passengers were killed in a road accident in which 19 people were killed and 30 others were critically injured, Transport Commissioner Chandrasekhar Kumar today said the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) has submitted a preliminary report on the incident mentioning that the mishap took place due to the carelessness of the driver who was talking with his mobile phone while driving the vehicle.
Briefing media persons here today, he said steps have been taken to bring down the incident of road accident in Odisha. “The Supreme Court has directed the state government to bring down the number of accidents in the state by 20 percent by 2020”, he added.
He informed that a meeting of the bus and truck owners is scheduled on Monday in which emphasis would be given on overloading and over-sitting. “Apart from this, a decision would be taken to ban drunk driving and talking with mobile phones while driving”, he pointed out.
Also read: ‘Overloading, careless driving are reasons behind Athmallick accident’
The Transport Commissioner further said the department has cancelled 25,000 driving licences in the state in 8-10 months. “We have written a letter to the Centre with a proposal for a refresher training during renewal of driving license,” he noted.