Drive against erring drivers,conductors also on weekends
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, NOV 12
After issuing nearly 1000 odd challans in the very first month, the state transport department has now decided to carry out the drive against erring drivers and conductors even on weekends.
The drive, which kicked off on October 1 has been receiving a very good response with drivers and conductors preferring to wear uniforms and issuing tickets.
However, the Transport Department has received several complaints regarding violations of these rules on weekends. “As the RTOs don’t turn up on Saturdays and Sundays, the drivers and conductors prefer to violate most of the rules especially not wearing uniform and non issuing of tickets. At many instances they don’t even close the doors of the buses while moving,” one of the commuter complained.
In-order to make the drive more effective, the department will also keep a close look on all the buses even on weekends.
“These are major complaints and we cannot ignore them. As we have taken step towards providing smooth and safe public transport, it’s our duty to see that rules are followed 24/7,” Transport Director Arun Desai said.
The Transport Department in the month of October checked nearly 3300 buses of which 1570 challans were issued. At the same time, the department has noticed percentage wise decrease in the number of challans issued every week.
In the first week of the drive, the department issued 611 challans. The number came down to 380 and 290 in the second and the third week of the drive respectively.
“In the very first week, there was nearly 65 percent violation of the rules whereas by the end of the month, we observed that the number has come down to 35 percent,” Desai said adding that from this month onwards the defaulters will be penalized heavily. Desai said that the time has come when department need to act more strictly.
Though the drive does not aim at revenue collection, the department last month managed to collect revenue of Rs 9 lakh through the challans issued.
Stressing on overloading, Desai has once again appealed people not to overload the buses as it is against the rule.
“In most of the cases, people themselves are responsible for overloading as everyone is in hurry. I appeal people not to climb in overloaded buses,” Desai stated adding that if required additional buses will be made available on the said routes and timing.
The task force on transport has recently appointed a committee under Desai to keep a check on unauthorized bus stops along the national highways.
