Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Feb 20: A team of regional transport office Mangaluru led by deputy transport commissioner, R M Varnekar, undertook an operation at Vittal after receiving complaints from the general public. During the operation, a bus that was operating in the rural sector even after its fitness certificate had expired, was seized and a tempo traveller passenger vehicle and contract carriage bus of Kerala were fined for cheating on payment of tax.

The people of the region have been facing lot of inconvenience because of cold war going on between government and private buses on Vittal-Pakalakunja route. The private buses often were seen plying their buses during the period the KSRTC buses were operational and blocked their movement. Heated arguments between the locals and private bus staff had happened relating to this issue.

The people had said that the bus that had license to operate on Vittal-Pakalakunja route only operated a few trips in the morning and stopped the operation as the owner felt running the bus in the evening was not profitable as only a few commuters are available. The private buses often fought with government buses.

The RTO officials who arrived at the old bus stand at Vittal on Sunday, took into custody a bus bearing the name, 'Guruprasad'  which was running beyond the permit period although the bus had been in operation for over 15 years. The officials also fined three vehicles from Kerala which cheated on tax payment in Karnataka and also a contract carriage bus.

R M Varnekar said that the old bus had run for 18 years although law prescribes introduction of new buses after 15 years. He said that permit of the bus can be renewed only new bus is provided in place of the old one.