Jose K Joseph
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: The state government order to regional transport officers (RTOs) to seize vehicles plying without valid licences is likely to create a problem of parking space.
There are two types of licenses — transport and non transport — according to the Motor Vehicle Rule 1989. The rule says that a taxi driver must have a transport licence, while a non-transport licence is for drivers of personal vehicles.
The order, passed Monday, has thus put more than 19,000 auto-rickshaws under the scanner. Available data suggests that of the 20,000 auto drivers in Bhubaneswar, 500 have the mandatory transport licence to operate passenger vehicles. This was reported by
Orissa POST October 1.
The experiences of the transport departments of the other states suggest that seizing vehicles on this scale will create a problem of parking space. When the transport department of Uttar Pradesh started seizing vehicles for Motor Vehicle Act (MVD) violations in July the department faced a parking space issue and was forced to request the district administration to find space for parking the seized vehicles. The capital RTO is likely to face a similar situation.
The RTO Bhubaneswar said he has not received the order. He, however, said the RTO will face parking space problems if these vehicles are seized. “Many of the auto rickshaw drivers do not have transport licences and if we seize the autos we may have to find parking space for more than 19,000 vehicles,” said RTO Lal Mohan Sethi.
Transport experts have said the state officials should think of options such as imposing heavy fines rather than seizing vehicles.
“For getting a transport licence, the person must have a Class VIII pass certificate. However, a majority of the auto-rickshaw drivers in the city are illiterate. As such, the authorities must try to understand our plight,” said Auto Maha Sangham president Padman Kumar Samal.
