BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is yet to communicate its decision on making provisions of intelligent enforcement management system (IEMS) in the scope of work of national highways to curb road accidents, the state government has decided to implement it on select roads in Odisha.
The Transport department has urged the Public Works Department (PWD) and Rural Development department for provisioning of IEMS on newly constructed roads and during expansion of existing roads in the state. As per road accident statistics, as many as 3,861 fatalities were recorded on national highways under the jurisdiction of state PWD, major district roads and other district roads (arterial roads) in 2022. The state reported 5,696 road deaths in 2023.
It is also observed that 67 per cent of deaths were due to over speeding and eight per cent due to wrong side driving. Two-wheelers were involved in 43 per cent of the accidents and 45.6 per cent of the deaths. Most of the two-wheeler riders were not using helmets at the time of the accident. Expressing concern over the rising road accidents, principal secretary of Commerce and Transport Usha Padhee urged the principal secretaries of both the departments to take steps for inclusion of IEMS in the scope of work, estimate of construction and improvement of roads.
“The state government is putting multi-faceted efforts to reduce the number of road accidents and fatalities. It can be controlled and fatalities reduced through rigorous enforcement against the violators of traffic laws. Road users generally have a sense of fear of violating traffic rules where CCTVs are installed,” she said.
The initiative taken to implement IEMS on pilot basis on NH-16 passing through the state on a stretch of 140 km, Padhee said, has led to substantial reduction of accidents and fatalities. Work order has already been placed for installation of IEMS on different stretches of NHs and state highways covering about 540 km. At the last State Road Safety Council (SRSC) meeting, it was also decided that the road owning authorities concerned would include IEMS in the scope of work to ensure that more stretches are covered under the IEMS.
Last week, Padhee had written to Union secretary of Road Transport and Highways Anurag Jain to take immediate steps for inclusion of IEMS in the scope of work or estimate for improvement of roads.