KOCHI: THE private buses which unauthorisedly curtail trips on holidays, especially on Sundays, will henceforth face punitive action from the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD).
In the drive conducted late on Sunday, the department took action against 36 buses for skipping the night trip.
“Since the drive had just begun we issued a check report on Sunday. But it will continue on all Sundays, in order, to nab those resorting to unauthorised trip curtailments. In the case of repeat offenders, we will initiate proceedings to cancel the permit of the bus. For that, the Regional Transport Authority Board will be approached,” said RTO P H Sadhik Ali.
The move by the department came in the wake of the numerous complaints received by the Ernakulam RTO and the deputy transport Commissioner.
It has been decided to set up a special squad under all the sub RTOs to nab the buses guilty of trip curtailment. The maximum number of violations was detected on the city routes while the curtailment is seven under Mattanchery, eight under Tripunithura and North Paravoor sub RTOs.
During the drive the department collected `10,500 as compound fee from these buses.
“Following complaints from the public we have identified the routes plagued by the trip curtailment.Public transport should always be a reliable mode of conveyance. Strict action will be taken against the bus drivers and the owners if the violations are brought to our notice. The MVD will pull out all the stops to put an end to this problem,” the RTO added.
Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, Chellanam, Pukkattupadi, Palluruthy, Edakochi, Tripunithura, Maradu, Vennala, Kakkanad, Varappuzha, Cheranellore, Manjummel and Cherai are the areas which bear the brunt of the private buses’ arbitrary skipping of schedules.