Post news network
Bhubaneswar: The Regional transport office (RTO) II has approached city-based photojournalists to help them keep track of traffic violators.
“We have decided to engage professional photographers to take digital pictures of instances such as people using mobile phones while driving, vehicles parked in no-parking areas, buses and autorickshaws loading and unloading passengers in the middle of roads, goods vehicles unloading stock in the middle of roads. Once we receive the photographs, we will send notices to the offenders,” RTO II in-charge Sanjay Kumar Behera said.
“Our plan to take the help of photojournalists for checking traffic violations in the city has been approved by transport commissioner, Orissa, CS Kumar. We will issue I cards to the photojournalists and will also give them Rs 50 for every picture,” Behera said.
“Road accidents are increasing very rapidly. There were 9,680 accidents in Orissa in 2014-2015, which resulted in 3,995 fatalities and 12,000 major injuries. The fatality rate is 42 per cent. The major cause of accidents is the violation of road safety norms and our plan of taking the help of professional photographers to take pictures of traffic violators will definitely help reduce the number of such mishaps,” he asserted.
A special enforcement drive has also been started for checking pollution certificates of private vehicles, Behera said.
“We have started a special drive for checking pollution certificates of private vehicles to control pollution. The same kind of drive has also been launched in places such as Cuttack, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Angul, Jharsugda, Berhampur, Balasore and Baripada. There are at least 10 pollution testing centres here,” he said.
Photojournalists pointed out that taking a picture in a digital camera costs them at least Rs 12 and said they might also be attacked by anti-social elements. Thus, the money that the RTO has decided to give them is very little, they said.
Behera, however, said that the payment rate may be increased if the plan becomes successful.