The State Transport and Road Safety Commissioner has set June 14 as the deadline for all tourist vehicles registered in other States and being operated in Tamil Nadu, to be re-registered with local Regional Transport Offices (RTOs).
A senior official said the move to re-register outstation vehicles that were operating with All India Transport Permits (AITPs) in the State, was to streamline the operation of these tourist vehicles. More than 650 vehicles including omni-buses and vans registered in other States were being operated within the State, resulting in a heavy loss of revenue. Such vehicles were also being misused as stage carriers rather than as contract carriages for tourists, leading to a loss of revenue and it was also leading to the issue of passengers not being able to claim insurance in case of accidents, he pointed out.
The regulation of these vehicles was necessitated after the T.N. Transport Commissioner conducted meetings with omni-bus operators, wherein the time given for the re-registration of these vehicles was extended three times. At present, only 105 vehicles of the 650 vehicles have been re-registered with the local RTOs, while the remaining 545 vehicles are yet to be re-registered, the official said.
The 545 vehciles, a majority of which are omni buses, would be barred from operating within the State after June 14 and the vehicles would be seized, the official warned.
The State Transport and Road Safety Authority has also issued guidelines for vehicles, including buses that have AITPs, to keep a list of passengers or tourists, along with the details of the journey, available at all times.
