Surprise checks by Transport officials and traffic police personnel notwithstanding, dangerous travel on open vehicles visibly continues unabated in the district.
There is nothing much that officials are able to do beyond imposing fines.
In most cases, the occupants of such vehicles have been found to be villagers proceeding to some festivals or functions.
There are also instances of agricultural labourers travelling in such vehicles for farm work in distant places. At times of raids, the authorities have been imposing fine on the operators of the goods vehicles for transgressing norms of the permit, at the rate of Rs. 100 per person carried, sources said.
According to a senior official, villagers travelling in open vehicles reason out that they are unable to afford travelling in seated vehicles. There is no definite solution to the problem, unless a realisation dawns among such travellers that life is much more important, the official adds.
