The Transport Department has been conducting a special drive to check the unauthorised operation of contract carriage and All India Tourist Omni buses in the city.
The drive has been the fallout of a report, ‘KSRTC loses Rs. 14 lakh every day due to illegal operations,’ appearing in these pages on April 26.
Deputy Commissioner of Transport, Mangaluru, Afzal Ahmed Khan told The Hindu that besides motor vehicle inspectors from his office, inspectors from Davangere, Chitradurga and Chikkamagaluru have been deputed to the special squad, which is active particularly on the Mangaluru-Puttur route where the violations are going unabated.
So far, about 18 buses have been seized and another 16 cases have been filed in the jurisdiction of regional transport offices of Mangaluru and Puttur, Mr. Khan said. The department has been facing the practical problem of erring operators resuming their operations after getting the vehicles released from the court and paying the fine. Hence, the department is contemplating to recommend cancellation of the permits, he said.
Balehonnur-based RTI activist Shankaranarayana Bhat, who got details about KSRTC’s revenue loss through a query, told The Hindu that he brought the issue of illegal operations of private buses to the department higher ups urging them to initiate necessary action.
He said the department should take stern action so as to eliminate illegal operations not only in Dakshina Kannada, but also across the State.
KSRTC’s divisional traffic officer had informed that as many as 89 contract carriage buses operate between State Bank and Puttur, Uppinangady, Vitla and Dharmasthala every day. Similar is the case with 88 private All India Tourist Omni Buses operating between Mangaluru and Bengaluru.
There were also violations on the Kundapura-Bhatkal route where operation of private buses caused revenue loss to KSRTC.
All these routes come under nationalised scheme and are exclusively meant for KSRTC operations.
Inspectors from Davangere, Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru have been deputed for the task
18 buses have been seized and another 16 cases have been filed
