Odisha: Cops told to improve highway patrolling

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has asked police to improve the highway patrol system, which was launched by the chief minister Naveen Patnaik on February 1. Altogether 18 highway patrol vehicles have been mobilised on 18 stretches in different districts to immediately shift accident victims to hospitals.
At a recent review meeting, the government found that the performance of many highway patrolling units in February was not satisfactory. Only 57 road accident victims were shifted to hospitals by the highway patrol teams from different stretches in February.
Seven patrol vehicles operating on Akhuapada-Maitapur, Soro-Simulia, Haldipali-Godabhaga, Panposh Chhak-Kansabahal, Barkul-Rambha, Rambha-Chhatrapur and Chhatrapur-Gopalpur routes have not detected a single case of traffic law violation during the month, wrote transport secretary Madhu Sudan Padhi to director general of police Abhay on April 27. Three patrol units operating on Rupsa-Sergarh, Sergarh-Soro and Angul Town-Jarapada have detected only one case (traffic law violation) each during February.
The staff of the highway patrol units may be instructed to intensify enforcement activities as their performance would be reviewed by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, Padhi’s letter addressed to Abhay said.
The government has also asked the DGP to start the process of procurement and installation of speed laser guns in the highway patrol vehicles to detect over-speeding vehicles. At present, only the interceptor vehicles are fitted with the speed laser guns.
Since most of the accidents have been occurring due to driving in excess speed, the government has decided to introduce speed laser guns in the highway patrol vehicles.
Statistics of the transport department said of the total 5,333 accident deaths in the state in 2019, nearly 69% died due to over-speeding. Under section 183 of the amended Motor Vehicles Act, light and heavy vehicles will be fined Rs 2,000 and Rs 4,000, respectively for driving at excess speed.
Due to shortage of staff in the highway patrol vehicles, the transport department has decided to operate the vehicles in two shifts between 6 am and 10 pm instead of three shifts.