Bhubaneswar: Odisha government needs more central assistance for its road safety awareness campaigns, said Transport Minister Padmanabh Behera ahead of his visit to New Delhi to attend a meeting as a part of the National Road Safety Week observance.
As per reports, Odisha ranks 5th in terms of road accidents, however, the state has reportedly witnessed a dip in mishaps following the implementation of the new MV Act.
Behera said, "Thanks to the new Motor Vehicle Act, we have been able to reduce road accidents to some extent. We have a target of reducing it further by 20%. There is a proposal to deploy a squad in every 30kms to check traffic movements. To achieve this target, we need more personnel and more infrastructure. In the meeting, I'll put forth a proposal to grant us more funds."
"Fines for helmet, seatbelt, drunken driving are OK, but there are other document-related penalties in the MVA, if relaxed, could bring relief to motorists," added Behera.