BHUBANESWAR: Seized with blatant violation of road safety rules and resultant rise in accidents, the State Government has decided to rope in volunteers to assist transport officials in strengthening enforcement and better implementation of other activities of the Department.
Instructions have already been issued to regional transport officers (RTOs) to dig into the pool of Bharat Nirman volunteers and utilise their services to improve enforcement as well as service delivery at district level to the grassroots. The volunteers can be used to set up help desks in RTO offices as well as add teeth to field-level activities like vehicle checking and information gathering.
The RTOs have to carry out a wide range of tasks like licencing, registration, monitoring and facilitation of transport services while shouldering the responsibility of enforcement of road safety, Motor Vehicle Act and pollution control laws. The volunteers can be deployed across the spectrum of activities undertaken by the officials.
By setting up help desks and deploying volunteers to man them, the offices can streamline and speed up licence, registration and other process. The volunteers can be attached to vehicle checking squads for better enforcement and mobile checking activities. They can also be utilised for information gathering on violations of motor vehicle laws in their region. Acting on their inputs, prompt action can be initiated and violators booked.
State Transport Commissioner Chandrasekhar Kumar has also outlined other areas of activities for volunteers like engaging them in grant of driving licences, operation of transport services under Biju Gaon Gadi Yojana (BGGY) and developing transport related amenities.
“The volunteers can also provide useful feedback on the functioning of check gates by reporting unfair practices as well as harassment of vehicle operators there,” the Commissioner stressed.
The Commissioner has asked the RTOs to select candidates from around 73,158 volunteer force in the State. The volunteers should be adequately trained on activities that they are planned to be engaged in. On deployment, they would be provided with uniforms, caps, shoes and I-cards for their identification.