VIJAYAWADA: Additional Transport Commissioner P Srinivas Rao informed that as many as 7,416 persons died in 19,928 road accidents across the State in 2018. Taking a serious note of the matter, Chief Minister and Andhra Pradesh Road Safety Council chairman, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has allotted `50 crore during the current fiscal for purchase of gadgets and other road safety equipment. Apart from that, the department estimates that around 3,93,000 people across the state, are being forced to pay `10,000 towards insurance, repairs and maintenance annually for autos and taxis.
Rao further said that the terms and conditions for the implementation of the scheme would be prepared soon. “With the funding of the Union Government, nine test tracks are going to be arranged in the state. As per the directions of the Minister for Transport, all learner licence applicants will have to undergo one hour classes on road safety guidelines, which will be implemented in the State from September,” he added.
Following complaints against vehicle dealers resorting to malpractices during registration, special teams have inspected more than 100 dealer offices across the State and levied hefty penalties on those found guilty, said Transport Commissioner PSR Anjaneyulu.
Addressing a press conference at his chamber here on Tuesday, Anjaneyulu said,”During our inspection, we came to know that several dealers are generating invoices for vehicles with lesser prices to avoid taxes.
These trickeries practised by dealers has been affecting the government’s revenue as the vehicle owner is paying less tax. ‘’As part of our checks, we identified that a Honda Dealer in Vijayawada sold 29 vehicles at `10,000. Hence, we forced him to pay `1 lakh as additional life tax and `2 lakh as penalty,’’ he said.
Citing a few similar cases registered against the dealers, the transport commissioner said that a Toyota dealer in Visakhapatnam had delivered 16 vehicles without temporary registration and was levied a penalty of `50,000. Almost 1,000 two-wheelers were delivered without temporary registration number by a dealer named Gautam Hero, in Guntur since last year.
A vehicle dealer at Anantapur was forced to pay life tax to the tune of `41 lakh and also an additional penalty of `41 lakhs, because he manipulating invoice figures. A Hyundai dealer in Vijayawada was levied a penalty of `5 lakh for not cooperating with the enforcement teams and failing to produce the required documents, he added.