Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Sept 21: In a bid to curb drunken driving the state government has decided to step up efforts to strengthen enforcement all over the state.
The transport department has decided to launch drives to conduct breath analysis at regular intervals in all the districts to check people driving under the influence of alcohol.
Sources said as per the direction of the Supreme Court Committee on road safety, the state government has taken such decision.
Accordingly, transport commissioner CS Kumar has issued instructions to the regional transport officers (RTOs) to take appropriate measures.
“We have asked all RTOs to procure breathe analysers and take steps to detect tipsy drivers or tipplers behind the steering. We have also asked them to engage home guards during drives for the smooth conduct of such checks,” additional transport commissioner SK Panigrahy told Orissa POST, Monday.
If any driver found driving under the influence of alcohol, his/her driving licences would be suspended for at least three months, he said, adding, “There is also provision of jail and fine of `1,000 per persons under the offence.”
The RTOs asked to detect at least 50 cases must each month through each breathe analyser.
According to sources, of the 35 RTO offices operating in the state 10 are heavy traffic region RTOs which include Bhubaneswar-I, Bhubaneswar-II, Balasore, Ganjam, Rourkela and Sambalpur. These heavy traffic RTOs have been directed to procure four breathe analysers each and 17 other RTOs told to procure three analysers each. The remaining RTOs would have to procure two analysers each, sources said.
Earlier, the state had directed the transport officials to take stringent action against the traffic rule violators who do not tie seatbelts, or use helmets, cross zebra lines and red signals among others.
According to information provided by transport minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi in the state Assembly, 3,931 persons had been killed and 5667 seriously injured and 5,420 partially injured in 9,648 road accidents in 2014.
The total loss of property due to accidents in 2014 was around `70crore. As many as 7277 were arrested in 2014 for fast and reckless driving while the driving licences of one person was suspended.
In the past six months, 2360 died, 3329 were seriously injured and 3029 sustained minor injuries in 5651 road accidents. Only 3,236 persons were arrested during the time.
