Various wings and units of the Transport Department cracked the whip against several alleged violations by private travels ferrying home bound passengers by buses for Sankranti this season. As on Saturday evening, officials said, as many as 140 cases were booked.
Over the past week, lakhs of passengers aboard tens of thousands of vehicles travelled to several locations within Telangana, and from this State to Andhra Pradesh and other neighbouring States such as Karnataka and Maharashtra. To keep a tab on violations, checkpoints were put in place, and several teams of officers were deployed at important junctions and crossroads on the outskirts of the city, as well as other strategic locations.
Speaking to The Hindu , Transport Commissioner M R M Rao said, “These violations are that of the M V Act, and rules. Till yesterday (Friday), 104 cases were booked. I have been getting information constantly from different units. Today, 140 cases were booked. Further action will be taken accordingly.”
Mr Rao added that cases have also been booked on private operators who had on board in vehicles a larger number of passengers than rules permit. Cases were booked for carrying commercial goods in vehicles, travelling without keeping fire extinguishers in these vehicles and over either a lack of permits and similar violations. The officers also seized vehicles. “We have seized 10 vehicles,” Mr Rao said. Meanwhile, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation’s Ranga Reddy Zone pressed into service special buses from January 7. These buses began their respective trips from Uppal Crossroads, Aramghar, L B Nagar, CBS, Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station, Jubilee Bus Station, BHEL and KPHB. A cumulative 1,184 buses from JBS, 654 from Uppal Crossroads, 467 from MGBS, and 318 from L B Nagar were pressed into service. A total of 4,318 buses were pressed into service till Saturday.
The Sankranti rush at bus and railway stations began over a week ago with these places chock-a-block with travellers. According to officials, this year, a large number of students were seen travelling to their hometowns on account of the holidays which the Telangana government had declared. Officials added that the TSRTC’s buses had seen good response and a full occupancy ratio.
