Odisha Govt To Crackdown On Drunken Driving

Bhubaneswar: The state government will conduct a massive enforcement drive throughout the state to crackdown on drunken driving along with the verification of fitness certificates of public and goods transport vehicles as well as the driving licenses of drivers.

The enforcement drive will begin from September 25 across the state.

The move of the government came in following the Angul bus accident, which claimed 19 lives.  The state reported more than 4100 serious road accidents in 2015.

The drive, to be known as ‘sustained enforcement‘, will be taken up in different phases. In the first phase, the enforcement drive will be carried out between September 25 and 30. The additional commissioner of transport has been asked to prepare a plan of action in this regard, officials said.

Sources said the enforcement, which will be carried out as per the direction of the Supreme Court committee on road safety in the wake of increasing number of road accidents in the state, will be conducted at all bus stands and other places by the Regional Transport Offices with the help of district police as well as truck and bus owners’ associations.

In order to curb drunken driving accidents, sources said transport department officials will approach the excise department for a crackdown on liquor shops near highways. Besides, the excise department will also be requested to conduct surprise raids on eateries along the highways at various places.

They will take action as allegations have been leveled that alcohol is kept in these dhabas, and supplied to the bus and truck drivers when they halt for food.