HYDERABAD: Over 200 vehicles were booked during the past few days and penalties close to Rs 6 lakh was collected across the State from private bus operators which flouted norms. The special drive, which was started by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) on January 7 and concluded on Monday, was carried out mostly by the officials in Hyderabad and neighbouring districts of Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri for catching hold of the non-complying vehicle operators during the Sankranti season.
RTA officials issued a total of 211 Vehicle Check Reports (VCRs) and seized 10 vehicles. A total of Rs 5.96 lakh penalty (compounding fees) was imposed. The authorities in Hyderabad conducted the drive in six different zones, including Nagole. This time the officials focused on four highwaysVijaywada, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Nagpur — where 10 teams were engaged.
“Basically we check for the safety aspect of contract carriage buses. We conduct checks for emergency exits and if the bus is carrying more goods than permitted, which is dangerous. We also check for driving licence and road tax with regard to State,” said Joint Trasport Commissioner J Pandurang Naik. Operators are discouraged from overcharging during the festival.
Officials in Rangareddy informed that the private operators were also warned of action if found over-charging from passengers. “The vehicle checking was conducted on private buses to identify if they were carrying excess luggage, passengers and failure to adhere to norms like installation of fire extinguishers and also for tax evasion,” informed M Praveen Rao, Deputy Commissioner, RTA, Rangareddy district.
The officials maintained that the teams conducting vehicle checks comprised only department officials and no one from TSRTC was engaged. “As per court guidelines, since even RTC is an operator, there is no such a provision to team up with them. But yes, we acted upon after they came up with certain complaints,” clarified Rao.