KOCHI: Hardly three weeks after a round-the-clock special drive against overloaded tipper and mini lorries, the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) mounted a similar drive in the district earlier this week, taking action against 275 vehicles and netting ₹2.22 lakh.
All the 29 tipper lorries that were charged for overloading were allowed to continue services after offloading excess tonnage. Besides, steps were taken to suspend the licences of errant drivers.
The licences of six motorists were suspended for reckless driving and using mobile phones while driving. Deputy Transport Commissioner K.G. Samuel and Enforcement Regional Transport Officer M. Suresh led the drive. The drive, which began on Tuesday evening and lasted till Wednesday evening, had the participation of over 40 MVD officials from across the district.
The drive followed a High Court order in the wake of widespread complaints that the operation of overloaded tipper lorries had been causing extensive damage to roads, besides proliferating accidents.
“Previously, almost every tipper lorry checked was found to be overloaded. The drastic drop in the number proves that our frequent checks are beginning to have the desired results. This will reduce both damage to roads and bring down the accident rate,” said K.G. Samuel, Deputy Transport Commissioner.
The previous drive against tipper lorries held earlier this month had resulted in tension in the eastern suburbs of the district where speeding tippers and lorries had become a source of worry. Lorry owners and MVD officials have been on a collision course since then.
Days after the drive, tipper operators staged a protest and dharna against the “alleged harassment”, which was met with a counter protest meeting by the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department Gazetted Officers’ Association and Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspectors Association. The associations had alleged that lorry operators had been undertaking a personally vilifying poster campaign against officials who were acting on the directions of courts.