Guidelines Issued for Vehicles Used for Picnic & Pilgrimage in Odisha to Check Accidents

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) to check rising deaths due to road accidents during the picnic season. The SOP contains guidelines for vehicle owners, collaborating agencies, local police, and regional transport officers (RTOs).

“Furthermore, individuals engaged in recreational activities near picnic spots may be less attentive to traffic rules or may engage in activities that distract them from their surroundings, contributing to a higher likelihood of accidents,” the Transport Department SOP stated.

As per the SOPs, the owners of buses and other vehicles hired for transporting people to tourist or picnic spots must have a special permit from the concerned RTO before engaging their vehicles for such trips. Only vehicles that have fitness certificates will be allowed for such trips.

Police personnel shall conduct thorough inspections of vehicles near the picnic spots and pilgrim places to identify and prevent the transportation of hazardous or dangerous or objectionable materials such as cooking gas, kerosene oil, crackers, etc.

The Director General of Police will be requested to issue instructions to the district authorities to deploy police personnel near each picnic spot to carry out checks.

The vehicles engaged in transporting tourists or picnickers should avoid the overloading of passengers. The officers of the Transport and Police Department will carry out checks to find out if any vehicle is carrying more passengers than the permissible limits.

If a driver of a vehicle transporting tourists or picnickers is found to be under the influence of alcohol, he will be immediately arrested and his driving license will be impounded. Similarly, in case a driver is found driving without a driving license, the vehicle will be detained and the owner will arrange an alternative driver for continuation of the trip.

All vehicles must carry a First Aid Box with basic medical supplies to address injuries or health-related issues that may arise during the travel. Similarly, the vehicle owners shall put the name and contact number of at least one person from their group inside the vehicle to facilitate communication in case of emergencies.

During long-distance journeys to picnic spots and pilgrimages, all HMVs shall have a designated driver assistant or helper to support the driver, especially during extended travel periods.