Absence of norms in issuing fitness certificates to vehicles is one of the reasons responsible for the Mudichur incident last month in which a school student was killed after falling from a gaping hole in her school van, said K.Balasubramanian, national general secretary of the All India State Government Employees' Confederation.
Addressing presspersons here on Sunday, Mr. Balasubramanian, a retired employee of the state transport department, said that although there were specific norms on issuing the number of licences per day at every RTO (regional transport officer) office, similar norms were not available for issuing fitness certificates.
A ceiling per day should be fixed for issuing FC to vehicles, so that authorities would be relatively more responsible in ascertaining the stability and road worthiness of a vehicle.
Further, specific guidelines should be evolved for ascertaining technical worthiness of every vehicle. Authorised workshops should be accredited by the transport department for ascertaining the stability and soundness of each and every vehicle for fitness.
The vehicle should be sent to the authorised workshop and should be under their technical care and study for at least a week's time, before issuing the fitness certificate by the RTO.
Further, vehicles beyond their life span should be destroyed. . Had these guidelines been evolved and implemented, the incident at Mudichur would have been averted, he said.
Postcard to CM
G. Paul Pandian, State president of the Tamil Nadu Government Employees’ Union, said that presently the single incumbent holding the post of Joint Transport Commissioner (Administration) was also in charge of the posts of the Joint Transport Commissioner, Chennai North Zone; Joint Transport Commissioner, Chennai, South Zone; Deputy Transport Commissioner (Administration).
He also said that the three posts have been lying vacant for the last one year.
He said that only IAS official should be appointed for the post of Joint Transport Commissioner (Administration) for toning up the efficiency of the transport department.
He said that the ministerial staff of the department across the State would despatch a postcard to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on August 18 at the postoffice in Srirangam pledging for posting an IAS cadre incumbent for the post of Joint Transport Commissioner (Administration) and also for the transfer policy through counselling.
