Bhubaneswar: The transport department in Odisha has initiated a camera-based electronic traffic enforcement system across four new road segments. These include the Manguli-Sambalpur road spanning Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, and Sambalpur districts; the Sambalpur-Rourkela route through Jharsuguda and Sundargarh; as well as the Berhampur-Taptapani and Berhampur-Bhanjanagar routes, both located in Ganjam district.
A senior official from the state transport authority (STA) stated, “Regional transport officers (RTOs) have been instructed to enhance awareness initiatives regarding the Intelligent Enforcement Management System (IEMS), encouraging motorists to adhere to road safety regulations.” The cameras within this system will monitor for speeding, triple riding, lack of helmets, and driving against traffic, promptly issuing electronic challans to violators’ mobile devices.
Each challan will include photographic or video evidence, registration details, timestamp, geo-location, speed data where relevant, and specifics of the violation. The official mentioned, “Electronic enforcement has already been in place on routes including Bhubaneswar-Puri, Puri-Konark, Konark-Pipili, Cuttack-Paradip, Banalgir-Turekela, Girisola-Rameswar, Panikoili-Laxmananath, and Rameswar-Panikoili. The new segments have been included since Saturday.”
Officials also noted that district road safety committees will conduct monthly reviews for six months and quarterly checks thereafter, focusing on signage, infrastructure, awareness campaigns, violation patterns, and accident outcomes. Ongoing publicity efforts will be carried out through press releases, local-language announcements, social media, toll plazas, and collaborations with bus and truck associations as well as educational institutions.
The official stressed the importance of all road users respecting lawful speed limits, wearing appropriate helmets, limiting passengers to one pillion rider, driving in authorized directions, and following traffic signs and markings. The transport department pointed out that Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, mandates electronic monitoring for road safety, while Rule 167A of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, allows for the use of electronically recorded footage for challans with proper evidentiary safeguards. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has also established a standard operating procedure to ensure fair and coordinated enforcement, including site selection, calibration, control rooms, public awareness, data governance, and oversight by committees.
