Bhubaneswar, Aug. 24: Pillion-rider or otherwise, if you are on a motorcycle, make sure you wear a helmet.
The state government today enforced the already-existing provision under the Motor Vehicles Act and mandated state police to take action against the errant motorcycle riders.
Police officials in the rank of assistant sub-inspectors and above were today given the necessary powers to act as motor vehicle inspectors and take penal action against errant riders. These powers included the authority to cancel the driving licence of traffic offenders.
Chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi and other officials today held a meeting with district collectors through videoconference on various aspects of road safety and directed the police and other officials concerned to take immediate measures to this effect.
Home secretary Asit Tripathi said that although the number of road accidents had decreased, two-wheelers accounted for 44 per cent cases of fatal accidents in the state. "Pillion riders are often the victims," he said.
Odisha has a very high concentration of two-wheelers on the road.
In 2016, 10,532 fatal accidents took place in the state causing death and injuries to 4,435 and 11,312 persons, respectively. In 44 per cent of the cases, the two-wheelers were found responsible for causing the accidents followed by 20 per cent caused by the small passenger carrying vehicles, 23 per cent by trucks and 5 per cent by buses. In 96 per cent of the cases, the drivers were found at fault.
State's transport commissioner Madhusudan Padhi said there was provision under the Motor Vehicles Act making it mandatory for the bike riders to use helmet.
"But the provision was not being enforced for pillion riders. Now, it has been decided to enforce the provision," he said. "Not only the people driving the motorcycle, but pillion riders are vulnerable to fatal accidents."
Now, all pillion riders will have to wear helmets, failing which they will face a fine of Rs 100. States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Goa, Bihar and Jharkhand have already made the use of helmets mandatory for those riding pillion.
Chief secretary Padhi directed the collectors and police superintendents of all the districts to intensify enforcement activities on the national and state highways without causing unnecessary harassment to the people. He also asked them to carry out awareness programmes.
The collectors and police superintendents are to chalk out joint enforcement strategies, particularly on the national and state highways.
The chief secretary directed the officials concerned to hold the district-level road safety committee meetings every month with definite enforcement targets.
The districts were also asked to observe Zero Tolerance Day every week.
