Amidst the continuing practice of goods carriers transporting passengers, officials of the Transport Department conducted checks in different parts of the district on Thursday.
According to Transport Department officials, teams of motor vehicles inspectors of the Tiruchi West, Tiruchi East, and Srirangam Regional Transport Offices and the unit offices of Tiruverumbur and Manapparai conducted checks at various places and booked cases against at least 16 vehicles for overloading and other violations. Two vehicles were seized for plying without proper records.
Eight vehicles were booked by officials in Tiruchi, Tiruverumbur, and Manapparai areas while eight other vehicles were booked at Musiri.
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The checks came in the wake of a directive from District Collector Jayashree Muralidharan to the police and transport officials to seize goods vehicles found carrying people.
She issued the directive after 19 schoolchildren travelling in a goods carrier were injured in a road accident at Thiruengoimalai on Wednesday.
However, goods carriers continued to violate the rule on carrying passengers. On Thursday, a goods van was seen carrying nearly 20 persons near the TVS Tollgate in the city.
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Apart from schoolchildren taking free rides, commuters regularly travel by goods carriers, especially in goods vans.
Transport officials who conducted the checks on Thursday said that goods carriers can carry up to three persons in the cabin. But cases booked on Thursday mostly pertained to the vehicles plying without proper records such as tax, insurance, and fitness certificates.