The District Transport department has imposed penalties on 505 vehicles in its special drive against the vehicles which are not following the norms. In Dehradun city alone 325 penalties were imposed and 46 vehicles were seized. In Vikasnagar penalties were imposed on 180 vehicles while 50 vehicles were seized in the special drive.
The Additional Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) – Administration, Sandeep Saini told The Pioneer that penalties were imposed on 67 buses, 125 Vikrams and 133 delivery vans in Dehradun city. On the issue of compliance of the High Court order that the Vikrams should not be allowed to pick retail passengers as they have contract carriage permits, Saini said that the HC orders are being enforced. He said that the issue of granting status of stage carriage to the Vikrams is pending with transport commissioner. Saini said that only 192 Vikrams out of total 794 Vikrams in the city fulfill the mandatory 7+1 (7 passengers+ 1 driver) rule for the stage carriage as per the Motor vehicles act.
The issue of city transport in wake of HC orders was discussed recently when the Garhwal Commissioner CS Napchiyal chaired a meeting of the stake holders at his camp office. In the meeting Napchiyal had asked the transport department to strictly adhere to the court’s orders. The HC in its decision had directed the state government to ensure that the vehicles like Vikram, TATA magic and three wheelers which have Contract Carriages are not used to pick individual retail passengers.