Bhubaneswar: In an institutional reaffirmation of the Government of Odisha’s commitment to road safety, a high-level AMA Bus Operators’ Review Meeting was convened under the chairpersonship of Shrimati Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department. The proceedings underscored a systemic shift toward rigorous safety governance, integrating technological intervention with socio-legal accountability to mitigate road accidents and fortify the integrity of the State’s public transport infrastructure.
Principal Secretary Smt.Padhee articulated a non-negotiable “Safety First” mandate, signaling that any deviation from established safety protocols would be met with immediate statutory consequences. The review involved a forensic synthesis of 2025 accident data, categorizing fatal, major, and minor incidents to identify layered causalities. In instances where driver culpability was confirmed, the administration has already enforced stringent disciplinary measures, including the termination of services and the formal transmission of driving license data to Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) for permanent suspension.
A central pillar of the revised safety strategy is the deployment of advanced technological safeguards. Following the successful completion of proof-of-concept trials, the State is moving toward a wide-scale rollout of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Driver Fatigue Monitoring Systems (DFMS). These tools are designed to provide real-time analytical support, enhancing driver situational awareness and proactively addressing the physiological risks associated with long-haul transit.
Complementing these digital interventions is a rigorous sobriety enforcement regime. The meeting noted that hundreds of daily alcohol tests are currently being administered across the fleet, with a zero-tolerance policy applied to any crew member found under the influence.
The Government’s strategy extends beyond hardware to include the systemic training of human capital. Principal Secretary directed that all newly recruited drivers undergo mandatory training at the Institute of Driving and Training Research (IDTR) and exhaustive route familiarization before deployment.
The operational directive also emphasized: Strict adherence to lane discipline and speed regulations, regulated duty hours to prevent the cognitive impairment associated with driver fatigue, and continuous capacity-building programs focusing on defensive driving, electric bus operations, and emergency medical response.
The meeting, attended by MD CRUT Shri Sanjay Biswal, GM CRUT Shri Sahadev Samadhia, and senior representatives from AMA Bus operators, concluded with a clear roadmap for operator accountability. The Government of Odisha’s approach represents a multi-dimensional effort to transition from reactive enforcement to a proactive culture of safe mobility. By synthesizing technology-backed monitoring with firm legal enforcement, the State aims to ensure that public transport remains an efficient, secure, and citizen-centric service for the people of Odisha.