THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tour bus operators are planning to file a contempt of court petition against the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) for allegedly obstructing services to blacklisted vehicles, despite a court order prohibiting such actions.
The court had earlier ruled that the MVD cannot deny tax payments or permit renewals to vehicles on the blacklist. However, several tourist vehicle owners reportedly missed the April 15 tax payment deadline after the MVD allegedly restricted access, in violation of the court’s directive.
According to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules and a circular issued by the Transport Department, services such as tax payments, permit renewals, and fitness certifications must not be denied, even to blacklisted vehicles.
The affected vehicles include taxis, contract carriages, and tour buses with seating capacities of up to 49. With the deadline now passed, owners face an additional 10 per cent penalty. The Contract Carriage Operators Association (CCOA) has accused the MVD of flouting the rules.
“There is a deliberate attempt by some officers to inconvenience owners,” said Binu John, president of the CCOA. “The blacklisting often happens on Fridays, making it difficult for us to operate over the weekend. We have decided to approach the court, as the situation has become untenable.”
The CCOA has already notified MVD officers about the violation and plans to file the petition after the court vacation on May 19.
A senior MVD official denied any deliberate attempt to block services. “There were isolated cases where blacklisted vehicles couldn’t pay their taxes, but we have addressed those on a case-by-case basis,” the official said.
The MVD began blacklisting vehicles over unpaid fines after an audit flagged losses to the exchequer. Before the integration of the Parivahan system, special permit fees were not being collected consistently.
Although the government had directed the MVD to collect Rs 105 for a special permit costing Rs 250, this was not enforced, resulting in a Rs 8.45 crore shortfall. The CCOA alleges that the blacklisting was used as a tool to coerce vehicle owners into compensating for the department’s failure, despite a High Court order staying the practice in September last year.