In the wake of recent road accidents that claimed several lives in Odisha, the State government has announced to complete installation of speed governors in all passenger buses, school buses and goods trucks within a month.
A high-level meeting headed by Commerce and Transport Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi on Tuesday resolved that no school bus would travel at speed of more than 60 km per hour.
The Transport Department would give fitment certificate to vehicles after installation of speed governors and sealing of test report. “After sealing of speed governor, the vehicle is to be tested on road to ensure that it is functionally capable to limit speed of the vehicle not exceeding at 80 or 60 km per hour,” says a department notice.
Fitment certificate
It further points out, “wherever speed governor has not been fitted, fitment certificate should be cancelled and penalty would be collected. Serial number of the speed governor would be recorded in the VAHAN database of respective vehicle so as to prevent re-fitment of the speed governor in another vehicle.”
Mr. Majhi said authorities of National Highway Authority of India and State’s Public Works Department had been asked to review the accident-prone spots on important roads and rectify technical problem.
In 2015, 10,542 accidents had taken place in Odisha claiming 4,303 lives and leaving behind 11,525 persons injured.
The number of accidents in 2015 had gone up by 9.27 per cent compared to 2014.
An analysis says accidents in rural areas are higher than that of urban pockets.
Further analysis points out that 30 per cent of accidents involve two wheelers, small passenger buses (24 per cent), truck 21.55 per cent and bus (6 per cent).
“We have found 98 per cent of accidents had taken place due to reckless driving and inattentive drivers,” said the Minister.
According to the department, till August, 24,336 driving licenses had been cancelled on account of errant driving. Drivers had been directed not to use mobile while driving.
