BHUBANESWAR: Construction agencies/contractors will have to pay hefty fines for failing to provide adequate infrastructure for pedestrians on new roads to be built in the State.
In a bid to reduce exposure of non-motorised transport users to motorised vehicular traffic and bring down fatalities, the Odisha government is all set to amend its motor vehicle rules.
The Odisha Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2022 will ensure regulation of activities and access of non-motorised transport and pedestrians to public roads and national highways. As per the proposed amendment, regional transport officers (RTOs) will regulate activities relating to vulnerable road users within their jurisdiction and there will be provisions of infrastructure for pedestrians such as cross-ways, subways and foot over bridges at the design stage.
A fine equivalent to one per cent of the total contract amount has been proposed to be mandatorily imposed upon contractors in cases where new roads do not have adequate infrastructure for pedestrians. The fine amount will be deposited with the State Road Safety Fund.
The lead agency on road safety will have to ensure that road owning departments and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) demarcate designated street space for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised users such as footpaths, cycling tracks and foot over bridges on all roads and highways in the State.
They will have to provide pedestrian crossing facilities with every two km on stretches of highways under their jurisdiction passing through inhabited areas. The lead agency, police, road owning departments and NHAI will be responsible for identifying roads where private vehicle movement should be prohibited and such designated roads will be transformed into ‘pedestrian only’ zones.
Cycling paths and footpaths in all new and upgraded roads in the State especially in high-density residential areas and major places of employment will be demarcated as required under the Odisha State Road Safety Policy for the safety of vulnerable road users.
The road-owning departments and NHAI will demarcate slow zones/special speed zones for pedestrians on all roads, especially residential and areas designated as black spots, and restrict the entry of heavy vehicles.