CHENNAI: In the midst of controversy over the transfer of Transport Commissioner L Nirmal Raj, who had introduced counselling for the transfer of vehicle inspectors and several other reforms to address corruption in the transport department, the state Lorry Owners Federation has said corruption in the postings and transfer of vehicle inspectors and Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) is alarmingly high in the state, resulting in the harassment of truckers for bribes.
A few days ago, Nirmal Raj took measures to conduct counselling for transfer of vehicle in a transparent manner. During the scrutiny process, it was found that a vehicle inspector, previously convicted for accepting bribes at a checkpost, had been working at the same location. Upon learning of this, the transport commissioner transferred the inspector on Monday.However, to the surprise of many, Nirmal Raj was transferred out of department within a day.
The State Lorry Owners Federation (SLOF) president C Dhanraj on Wednesday alleged the sum of money demanded for securing vehicle inspector positions in highly lucrative places ranges from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 1 crore. “Each Regional Transport Office (RTO) has been assigned an annual bribery target, with the highest targets being set for the Gummipundi and Sriperumbudur RTOs. Notably, the Gummipundi RTO has been tasked with collecting an astounding Rs 6 crore per month,” he claimed while speaking to press persons here.
He said truckers, who work tirelessly for smooth transportation of goods across the country, have been subjected to various forms of torment. “We are compelled to pay a bribe of Rs 5,000 per vehicle to the RTOs overseeing the routes our vehicles pass through. To make matters worse, if our vehicles run through multiple routes, we have to make payments to every RTO along the way. Failure to comply with these demands results in exorbitant penalties being imposed upon us,” he said.
“For example, spot penalty for overloading of truck has been increased from Rs 2000 to Rs 20,000 last year. When we refuse to pay the bribe on a regular basis, vehicle inspectors exploit section 194 of the Motor Vehicle Act of 1988, which pertains to the refusal to weigh overloaded vehicles. As a result, an additional penalty of Rs 40,000 is imposed. Often, uneducated drivers simply accept the challan without contesting the charges. Approximately 500 lorries operating in Dindigul, Sivaganga and other districts have been falsely accused and charged,” added Dhanraj.
Nirmal Raj, who took over as Transport Commissioner in June the last year, implemented a series of reforms aiming at bringing down the corruption within the RTOs. To curb the influence of middlemen, he mandated that driving tests for four-wheeler candidates registered through driving schools should only be conducted two days a week. This step aimed to ensure that the general public could obtain learner’s licenses or driving licenses without succumbing to bribery. He also proposed the purchase of new vehicles for all RTOs to conduct driving license tests.
Similarly, when RTOs insisted that truckers replace expensive retro-reflective tapes, which could only be obtained from select firms, for issuing Fitness Certificates (FCs), Nirmal Raj clarified that new tapes were unnecessary if the existing ones were in good condition. This move alleviated the financial burden on truckers eliminating the opportunity for corruption.
Following repeated complaints of bribery at RTO checkposts, transport department introduced an online system for paying road tax for inter-state vehicles. This digital platform significantly impacted the earnings of inspectors who secured their positions through extensive bribery, said sources.
Transport Minister S S Sivasankar could not be reached for comments.
