Odisha Govt Flags Unsafe Road Conditions Days After ‘Sand On NH’

Bhubaneswar:11/1/26: Days after two women, including a Bhubaneswar-based journalist, were run over by a bus after falling from a scooter which reportedly skidded on sand dumped on NH-316, Commerce & Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena on Sunday directed immediate corrective measures to prevent loss of lives.

Acting on his direction, the Transport Commissioner has issued a detailed letter to all road-owning and road-maintaining agencies, including NHAI, Works Department, Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, and NACs, emphasising their statutory responsibility to ensure clean, hazard-free, and traffic-worthy roads at all times.

The letter highlighted that loose sand and construction debris on carriageways significantly reduce tyre grip, leading to skidding and fatal accidents, particularly affecting two-wheeler riders. The Transport Commissioner has underlined that while enforcement action is taken against unsafe transportation of materials, accident prevention equally depends on timely removal of such spillage by the road-owning agencies concerned.

The communication also drew attention to Section 198A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which provides for accountability in cases of failure to comply with standards for road design, construction and maintenance. As per the provisions, lapses in maintaining safe road conditions can attract legal consequences, reinforcing the responsibility of agencies entrusted with road maintenance.