KOCHI: The Motor Vehicles Department on Friday seized five concrete mixer trucks of Lal Construction Company, which are operating on contract basis for Kochi Metro at Kalamassery.
The department seized the vehicle after it was found that the vehicles were running without valid documents such as permit, tax and certificate of fitness. An amount of around `5 lakh has to be remitted as fine for these violations.
“We seized the vehicles after obtaining information from our source. When the vehicle was seized, it was carrying a load of the concrete mix for a private firm but was carrying the ‘Kochi Metro board’. It is only after inspecting the vehicle we came to find the major violations,” said KG Samuel.
According to the officials, several such vehicles are operating for the private construction companies under the guise of working for by placing ‘Metro’ board. This is because the officials rarely check the Metro vehicles so as to avoid any type of interference in their work. This leniency is being taken advantage of by the other contract vehicles which use ‘Metro’ board to escape from the clutches of law.
“We haven’t found any violations in the vehicles which are operating under the Kochi Metro. But, most of the violations are seen in the contract vehicles. We are going to carry out a drive at the BPCL construction site,” said Motor Vehicle Inspector, A Noufal, who along with assistant motor vehicle inspector Brighty Emmanuel and Nidhi K X carried out the drive as per the instruction from the Deputy Transport Commissioner.
“Vehicles will be released only after the owners pay the full amount of fine. We have asked the owner of the vehicle to appear before the DTC,” Brighty said.
