Bhubaneswar: A step that will play a crucial role in ensuring safety and reducing fatalities in road mishaps, Odisha government has made helmet mandatory for pillion riders too in State.
Announcing the new regulation through video conferencing at the State Secretariat, Chief Secretary AP Padhi today said MVI powers will be vested on police stations to crackdown on violators.
As per the decision, an ASI rank officer will inspect and impose penalty on law breakers and their licences can also be cancelled.
“Deaths per accident data is not encouraging and hence we have decided to make helmets for pillion riders compulsory in State as nearly 44 percent of motorcyclists die in road accidents,” said additional chief secretary (Home), Asit Tripathy.
Odisha Government has also decided to intensify enforcement drive against use of mobile phones, drunken driving and driving without helmets and seatbelts.
The collectors and superintendent of police have been directed to form a joint enforcement strategy and observe ‘zero tolerance day’ weekly once against traffic violations. The districts that will reduce the number of road accidents will be tagged as pride districts.
As per official sources, the licences of nearly 24,606 persons have been cancelled from October 2016 till June this year in Odisha.
‘Black spots’ have been identified at 162 places on National Highways and 89 on State Highways and the authorities have also been directed to conduct safety audit of hoardings along roadsides.
At present there are eight trauma centres which are being managed by nearly 82 medical staff. The Health and Family Welfare department has been asked to deploy extra personnel at such medical centres.
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