BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday urged people to obey traffic rules and exercise utmost care and caution on the roads.
“On the occasion of 31st National Road Safety Week, I solicit the cooperation of all road users and appeal them to obey traffic rules in true spirit. Let us protect our precious lives by following road safety rules,” the Chief Minister said.
In his message, he said rash and negligent driving leads to heavy casualties in road accidents every year. “In order to reduce the magnitude of road accidents, a number of steps have been taken up by the State Government. Public awareness on road safety thus plays a very significant role in making all these efforts effective,” he added.
The Commerce and Transport department on Saturday organised a walkathon to mark the observance of Road Safety Week from KIIT to the driving test track at Chandrasekharpur. While School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash flagged off the walkathon, a public meeting was organised at the driving test track. An auto-rickshaw rally with road safety message was also flagged off.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the department Pramod Kumar Meherda, Transport Commissioner-cum-Chairman of State Transport Authority Sanjeeb Panda, ADG SK Priyadarshi, Traffic DCP Sagarika Nath, Khurda Collector Sitanshu Kumar Rout, actor Siddhanta Mahapatra and others were present. As part of observance of the week, an awareness vehicle will visit different traffic junctions in Khurda district to sensitise people on the issue. Street plays will also be staged at different junctions in the district.
Bike patrolling to check wrong side driving
BHUBANESWAR: Traffic Quick Response Team (QRT) will soon launch bike patrolling to check wrong side driving and illegal parking in the city. Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd will provide six motorcycles to the Commissionerate Police under its CSR activities.
On the occasion of 31st National Road Safety Week, the company on Saturday handed over a motorcycle to the traffic wing in the presence of Commissioner of Police Sudhanshu Sarangi and Traffic DCP Sagarika Nath.
An all-women bike rally led by the Traffic DCP was flagged off by the Police Commissioner to promote helmet use for pillion riders. "The company will provide us six motorcycles in different phases. The bikes will be customised and used by the QRT to conduct patrolling and check wrong side driving and illegal parking," said Nath.
On the occasion, Commissionerate Police and Jal Odisha, an NGO, equipped all the traffic posts with first aid box for road accident victims. "There are about 60 traffic posts in the city and each of them have been equipped with first aid box. The NGO and traffic police will have one key each of the first aid box," he added.