GUWAHATI: As many as 31 city buses have been seized and 20 cases registered against various offences in the past three days as part of an intensified drive to rein in errant drivers and conductors by the Assam transport department, officials said on Friday.
The move comes in the wake of complaints from commuters about offences, including flouting road safety and other norms, by city bus drivers and conductors.
The main objective of the drive conducted by district transport officers and enforcement officials on different routes is to ensure that motor vehicle rules permit conditions and road safety norms were being followed and that the drivers and conductors of the city buses behave politely with the commuters.
“Challans were issued to owners of 20 city buses during the three-day-long drive,” Rafiqul Islam, DTO cum secretary, Regional Transport Authority, informed.
DTOs and enforcement officials hopped from one city bus to another to book the offences committed with impunity by the bus drivers and conductors.
Some of the offences committed for which challans were issued to the bus owners include non-issuance of tickets, boarding through the front door, doors flung open while running, haphazard parking on stoppages, non-display of route numbers, permit numbers, route diversion, waiting at a stoppage for more than a minute, rash overtaking, undue halt on non-designated stoppages and misbehaving with passengers.
It may be noted that there are 22 sets of rules for the bus drivers and conductors to abide by.
Gauhati High Court has also issued directions in this regard.
“Violation of any rule will not only result in the imposition of penalty but also suspension or cancellation of permits,” Himangshu Das, DTO (enforcement), said.
It is learnt that the transport department officials are planning to launch a drive against traffic violations including penalising commuters who do not wear helmets or seatbelts, over-speed, overload and indulge in rash driving.
Besides, drivers plying vehicles without valid fitness certificates would also be dealt with as per law.
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