The Road Transport Authority (RTA) will give preference to citizens who come directly, as against through an agent, for services, the new Deputy Transport Commissioner Ch. Sivalingaiah has said.
Addressing a press conference in his office here on Thursday said top priority would be given to citizens’ services and those having any problem should call Grievance Cell number 98485-28492. The toll free number of the Grievance Cell for BSNL telephone callers was 1,100 and others was 1800-4251110. He said he would be available in his office every day from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to receive grievances from the public.
The DTC said that the agents could not be done away with a stroke of the pen, but efforts were being made to eradicate the system in a phased manager.
He said there was an eight per cent increase in revenue in Krishna District when compared to last year. The department was able to achieve 90 per cent of the Rs.264 crore target. The target for next year was Rs.340 crore, that is, 30 per cent more then the revenue of 2012-13.
Cases were being booked under the Revenue Recovery Act on vehicle owners who were not paying taxes. The department sent 30,000 notices to vehicle owners and 9,000 of them have come forward voluntarily to pay up their dues. Another 1,500 vehicle owners have submitted information saying that they have either scrapped the vehicle or sold it.
The DTC said that it was mandatory for vehicle owners to inform the RTA about scrapping and sale of vehicle. The penalty for not paying tax was 200 per cent and 167 cases had been booked under the Revenue Recovery Act against vehicle owners who have not responded, he said.
He said speed guns and interceptor vehicles have been deployed near toll plazas on the national highways to check speeding. Thirty cases were being booked against vehicles that were violating speed limits and a fine of Rs.2,000 was being slapped on them.