Bhubaneswar: A walkathon was organised to mark the beginning of Road Safety Week in Bhubaneswar on Monday.
The Odisha government had announced that the first week of January will be observed as the Road Safety Week to create road safety awareness among the people. The theme of this year’s Road Safety Week is “Sadak Surakhya – Parivar Rakhya”.
Minister of Water Resource and Commerce and Transport Tukuni Sahu inaugurated the event at the KIIT Convention Centre in the city. The walkathon, organised by the Commerce and Transport Department, started from KIIT Convention Centre and ended at Driving Testing Track in Chandrashekharpur.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said road safety was not limited to the safety of the individual but was connected to the safety of the family as well as other road users. It extended beyond mere duty and should be a shared responsibility among all road users.
Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport Department, said the department has made its mission to sensitise all people about the importance of road safety. It is the responsibility of all the road users to follow the traffic rules which will ultimately ensure a safer road for everyone.
Amitabh Thakur, Transport Commissioner, emphasised the importance of road safety in daily lives. He highlighted that the role of students in spreading road safety awareness among peers and family.
The dignitaries flagged off a Road Safety Van on the occasion. It will move throughout the district showcasing road safety short films to spread awareness on various road safety themes. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for picnic spots was also unveiled at the event. It mentioned the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders like bus owners and drivers going for picnic/pilgrimages, RTOs, and police.
Lalmohan Sethi, Additional Commissioner Transport (Road Safety), Pradeep Kumar Mohanty, Joint Commissioner Transport (Road Safety) along with other senior officials, students and general public were present at the inauguration ceremony.
