In a major move to curb highway accidents and improve the working conditions of heavy vehicle drivers, the Odisha Government has partnered with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to manage a new network of modern truck terminals.
An MoU was signed on Monday between the state’s Commerce & Transport Department and IOCL, entrusting the public sector giant with the day-to-day management, operational efficiency, and maintenance of the dedicated hubs being developed along Odisha’s national highways.
The initiative addresses a critical safety hazard: more than 300 people lose their lives annually in Odisha due to collisions with vehicles unsafely parked on highways. Long-haul truckers, lacking dedicated resting spots, frequently park on road shoulders to cook, rest, and sleep, creating hazardous bottlenecks and increasing crash risks.
To mitigate this, the Commerce & Transport Department is rolling out 30 modern truck terminals across various districts in its first phase. Construction on 15 of these terminals is already complete. Far from basic parking lots, these hubs are designed as comprehensive rest stops equipped with canteens, clean drinking water, secure parking, vehicle repair garages, and EV charging stations.
Under the new agreement, IOCL will leverage its operational expertise to maintain these facilities, ensuring drivers have a safe, clean, and well-managed environment to recharge. Authorities plan to actively encourage drivers who currently use hazardous roadside spots to transition to these dedicated terminals.
The MoU was formally signed by Deeptiranjan Patra, Additional Transport Commissioner (Road Safety), and Chiranjib Poddar, IOCL State Retail Head. The signing took place in the presence of Principal Secretary of the Commerce & Transport Department, N. B. S. Rajput; Transport Commissioner, Amitabh Thakur; IOCL State Head, Kamal Seal; and IOCL DGM, Shri Sachindra Guni.
By pulling heavy vehicles off highway shoulders and into fully equipped resting zones, the state expects to see a significant drop in illegal parking-related fatalities while simultaneously upgrading the quality of life for long-haul drivers passing through Odisha.
