Passengers’ safety and their facilities should have been put among the topmost priorities for the transport department officials, said Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinod Sharma while presiding over a meeting with the officers of regional transport authority at the Commissioner’s office on Saturday. In the same way, vehicle operators should follow traffic rules and other laws strictly, he added.
Sharma directed the transport officers to take stringent action against public transport operators if they are found guilty of overloading. The issue of releasing stage carriage permits for four -wheelers on various routes came up in course of the meeting.
Such routes include Parade Ground-Secretariat Chowk -Dilaram Bazaar-Great Value Hotel- Police Colony-IT Park-Sahastradhara Road- Mussoorie Bypass-Nagal Hatlana route-Sai Mandir-Canal Road- Kishanpur- Saket Colony-Great Value Hotel- Secretariat-EC Road-Aaraghar- Rispana- Dedarpur-Doon University- Mothorawala route, Premangar- Shyampur- Thakurpur-Mahendra Chowki-Umedpur-Duveerpur-Parwal-Singhniwala-Shimla Bypass motor via Parwal.
Sharma said that members should consider releasing permits for auto- rickshaws, three wheelers, tata, magic, city bus, E-rickshaws for the unemployed or the physically crippled.
During the meeting, complaints raised by the people were discussed and officers were directed to take measures for their prompt redressal. Vehicles’ drivers and operators can play a significant role in implementing traffic rules while caring for the passengers’ interest and state’s image in transportation, Sharma added.
Others present on the occasion were director Abhishek Bhandari, RTOs Sudhanshu Garg and roadways assistant general manager Pratik Jain aside from transporters’ representatives.