RTI Activism: RTO to act against overloaded autos

[Sajib Nandi]

Reported by Sarang Dastane in Timesofindia.indiatimes.com on Jun 10, 2012
RTO to act against overloaded autos - The Times of India

PUNE: The Regional Transport Office (RTO) of Pune is soon going to conduct a special drive to check fitness certificates and tax receipts of autorickshaws and similar modified public transport vehicles that have the capacity to carry more than three passengers.

Under the Right To Information Act, city-based Sajag Nagrik Manch (SNM) has recently found out that 92% of autorickshaws and similar modified vehicles with a capacity to carry more than three passengers have failed to obtain annual fitness certificates. There are about 4,371 such vehicles registered with the RTO and only 335 obtained fitness certificates last year.

The SNM has said that it is dangerous to allow vehicles without proper fitness certificates to ply since it could to accidents. The organisation has also expressed disappointment over the "lethargic approach" of the RTO and traffic police in initiating action against errant autorickshaw drivers.

Autorickshaws, including six-seaters, which have the capacity to carry more than three passengers, have been prohibited from plying in the main city areas for the last 10 years. These vehicles primarily run on the outskirts of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad — such as Katraj, Kondhwa, Hadapsar, Baner, Balewadi, Nigdi, etc — especially on routes that have a low frequency of PMPML buses.

An RTO official said, "We will take action against drivers and owners who fail to produce fitness certificates and other documents like tax receipts. The drive will be extensive and will take place in the immediate future." An official said that cases will be registered if vehicles are found carrying passengers more than the stipulated quota.

[selvarajan]

Sponsorer

These days the autorickshaws are used to carry school children too. These kind unfit vehicles should be banned from plying the RTO's in all over India should take necessary action to save the children life and public life as well.