BHUBANESWAR: The state Transport department’s Zero Fatality Week, which commenced on Tuesday, recorded an impressive 44,746 e-challans for various traffic offenses on its first day.
This dedicated road safety initiative aims to minimize accidents and fatalities and will take place during the first week of each month from September 2026 through March 2027.
Initiated under the guidance of Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, this campaign is part of broader efforts to enforce road safety regulations rigorously and decrease the incidence of road accidents within the state.
According to officials, the breakdown of the challans issued on Tuesday includes 25,282 for failure to wear helmets, 4,160 for speeding, 1,383 for triple riding, and 1,216 for driving without valid insurance.
Additionally, 703 individuals were fined for not using seat belts, 549 for operating vehicles without the necessary permits, 157 for driving against traffic, and 91 for driving under the influence of alcohol. More than 500 additional challans were issued for various other motor vehicle infractions.
In terms of regional distribution, 571 challans were recorded in Jharsuguda, 516 in Cuttack, 511 in Puri, 415 in Ganjam, and 1,410 in Bhubaneswar. On the first day of the Zero Fatality Week, counselling sessions for drivers were also conducted at multiple locations, including special awareness programs organized in collaboration with drivers’ associations in Sonepur, Bhadrak, Talcher, and Jajpur, officials reported.
