The ongoing Operation Night Riders launched by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) to keep tabs on the all-India tourist omnibus (AITOB) operators on the inter-State routes from the State has turned out to be a money-spinner for the exchequer with the drive yielding ₹2.05 crore in one month.
The MVD Enforcement wing’s drive launched on April 23 midnight in the wake of the attack on a few Bengaluru-bound passengers travelling in a Kallada Travels bus at Vyttila had fetched ₹2,05,85,350 till May 25. During the drive across the State, sleuths of the MVD had checked 5,924 buses operating to and from the cities of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh to the State.
Notices issued
The offices of the operators in key cities and towns across the State were also inspected following complaints that many did not have the mandatory Licensed Agent for Public Transport (LAPT) licence.
Collecting individual fares, transport of goods, and tampering with speed governors were among the offences detected.
Initially, the contract carriage operators refused to pay the fine for the violations. With the seizure of the contract carriage of SRS travels for non-payment of penalty and court refusing to entertain the plea, a top official of the MVD said the erring operators have started remitting fines.
However, the Transport Department’s stringent guidelines for the booking offices of the operators to secure LAPT licence had not yielded the desired results. Those running the booking offices illegally have not bothered to reply to the notice served by MVD.
Meanwhile, the government has notified the M. Ramachandran committee, set up for fare revision of stage carriers, autos and taxis, to look into the fares being collected in AITOBs and suggest fares. The committee has been given three months time to submit the report.