Paradip: Authorities have decided to prohibit the movement of two-wheelers within the port's prohibited operational area.

The ban, that will come into effect from January, is being imposed from a security viewpoint, said a port official.

"The port is steadily being modernised. As a result, such a measure was necessary from a safety point of view," said deputy conservator and harbour master of the Paradip Port Trust Atulya Kumar Mohapatra.

He said: "The port has now fully attained international standard with the berthing of two cape-size vessels in the past month. We are now gearing up to handle cape-size vessels regularly inside the harbour and enhance the cargo output."

"The port is vying for the top position in the country in cargo handling and ship movement with a slew of other infrastructure and modernisation projects under way. It has taken up projects to increase the capacity from the existing 126.94 million metric tonnes per annum (MMT) to 325MMT per annum by 2025."

Allowing two-wheelers inside had resulted in several accidents in the port's core area. Four persons were killed in such accidents. The victims were all two-wheeler riders, said another port official.

The decision on two-wheeler movement, therefore, was taken to keep the port free from accidents. "The port's cargo-handling capacity has gone up manifold in recent times and the movement of heavy machinery and cranes for cargo handling has also gone up. Consequently, the plying of cargo-laden heavy vehicles has shot up, exposing motorcyclists to mishaps," said the official.

Stakeholders, port users, employees and workers have been informed of the decision to stop the movement of motorcycles inside the port, he said.

"The decision is meant for the safety of workers. So, it's a positive step which all workers welcome," said trade unionist Prahalad Sahu.