Owing to shortage of Motor Vehicle Inspectors in the Transport Department, Transport Minister R. Ramalinga Reddy has said that the police have been given powers to crack down on passenger and goods vehicles that are overloaded in taluk headquarters and on State highways. Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, he said more than 50 per cent of the sanctioned posts for Motor Vehicle Inspectors were vacant. Of the 480 sanctioned posts, 280 have not been filled. The High Court had stayed recruitment and posting of personnel on deputation from other departments, he said.
Mr. Reddy said the police had been empowered to crack down on vehicles carrying passengers beyond the capacity to reduce the number of accidents.
2,000 buses soughtThe State has sought 2,000 buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and the issue was brought to the attention of M. Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, during last week’s meeting.
Around 800 buses would be deployed to the Bangalore Metro Transport Corporation (BMTC) and the rest to other transport corporations, he said.
The Minister said the recent hike in diesel price would cost the BMTC an additional Rs. 70 lakh a month.
