Transport Department Expands Electronic Surveillance of Traffic in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha transport department has expanded electronic surveillance of traffic to four new stretches in the state. The new stretches include the Manguli-Sambalpur road passing through Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, and Sambalpur districts; Sambalpur-Rourkela route through Jharsuguda and Sundargarh; Berhampur-Taptapani; and Berhampur-Bhanjanagar, both in Ganjam district.

The cameras installed on these stretches will detect speeding, triple riding, helmetless driving, and wrong-side movement, generating instant e-challans delivered to violators' mobile numbers. The e-challans will carry photographic/video evidence, registration details, date, time, geo-location, speed data where applicable, and the specific provision violated.

The transport department has already implemented electronic surveillance on several other routes, including Bhubaneswar-Puri, Puri-Konark, Konark-Pipili, Cuttack-Paradip, Banalgir-Turekela, Girisola-Rameswar, Panikoili-Laxmananath and Rameswar-Panikoili routes. The new stretches came under coverage from Saturday, as confirmed by a transport official.

"Electronic enforcement has already been operational along Bhubaneswar-Puri, Puri-Konark, Konark-Pipili, Cuttack-Paradip, Banalgir-Turekela, Girisola-Rameswar, Panikoili-Laxmananath and Rameswar-Panikoili routes," the official said, underscoring the phased rollout of the Intelligent Enforcement Management System (IEMS) across key corridors.

To ensure public understanding and compliance, the transport department has directed regional transport officers (RTOs) to intensify awareness campaigns on IEMS, urging motorists to adhere to road safety norms.

"The regional transport officers (RTOs) have been directed to intensify awareness campaigns on Intelligent Enforcement Management System (IEMS), urging motorists to comply with road safety norms," said a senior official of the state transport authority (STA).

Further strengthening oversight, officials confirmed that district road safety committees will review signage, engineering interventions, awareness drives, violation trends, and crash outcomes on a monthly basis for the first six months, followed by quarterly reviews thereafter.

Publicity efforts will be sustained through multiple channels, including press releases, local-language notices, social media campaigns, toll plaza announcements, engagements with bus and truck associations, and outreach programs in educational institutions.

"All road users must respect lawful speed limits, wear prescribed helmets, carry no more than one pillion rider, drive only in the authorised direction and obey traffic signs and markings," the STA official emphasised during a briefing on the initiative.

The legal foundation for the electronic surveillance system is grounded in national legislation. According to the department, Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, mandates electronic monitoring of road safety, while Rule 167A of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, permits the use of electronically stamped footage for issuing e-challans, subject to evidentiary safeguards.

To ensure consistency and fairness, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) that governs site selection, equipment calibration, control room operations, public awareness initiatives, data governance protocols, and committee oversight mechanisms.

The expansion aims to reduce traffic violations and enhance road safety through technology-driven enforcement, with real-time monitoring and automated challan generation serving as deterrents against unsafe driving practices.

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