BHUBANESWAR: The Commerce and Transport department on Monday signed an MoU with the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for efficient management and maintenance of modern truck terminals being developed along the highways.
The pact was signed in presence of Transport department principal secretary, NBS Rajput, commissioner Amitabh Thakur, IOCL state head Kamal Seal, among others. It aims to prevent road accidents and fatalities caused due to illegal parking and provide better facilities and amenities to heavy vehicle drivers on the highways.
IOCL will be responsible for management, operational efficiency and day-to-day maintenance of these truck terminals. Officials noted that over 300 people lose their lives every year in Odisha due to crashes involving vehicles parked unsafely on roads. Long-haul truck drivers travelling from different states often park their vehicles illegally on highways and engage in activities such as cooking and resting in unsafe environments, thereby increasing the risk of road accidents, they added.
“To address this issue, the Transport department has planned to develop 30 truck terminals near NHs in different districts of the state in the first phase. Construction of 15 terminals has already been completed,” the officials said. The truck terminals are equipped with adequate parking facilities, rest areas for drivers, canteens, drinking water facilities, etc.