Nagpur: The Right to Information (RTI) Act, which empowers citizens to scrutinize government functioning, sometimes encounters bureaucratic obstacles leading to confusion and ambiguity in the city of Union Minister and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister. A recent instance of this has surfaced with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Nagpur Urban, where conflicting responses were provided to specific queries, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
RTI Activist Abhay Kolarkar’s RTI application sought information from the RTO regarding the inspection of buses by the Urban Office between January 1, 2020, and May 31, 2023.
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In a puzzling response, the RTO claimed it was unable to comprehend the query. However, when it came to the issuance of fitness certificates, the RTO promptly disclosed that approximately 1577 buses had been inspected and certified as fit during the specified time frame.
Further examination of the RTI responses revealed additional discrepancies. While the RTO disclosed that 18 buses had been registered under the contract carriage permit category between January 2020 and May 2023, it admitted to having no information regarding the inspections conducted on these registered buses.
This revelation raises concerns about potential oversight, hinting that newly registered vehicles might commence operations without undergoing mandatory inspection checks.
A startling revelation emerged when the RTO acknowledged imposing fines on 1357 buses with contract carriage permits for rule violations over a 41-month period from January 2020 to May 2023. However, the RTO claimed an inability to determine the total amount of fines collected from these buses for the violations, a response that has left many perplexed.
Furthermore, the issue of safety compliance by private bus operators came to the forefront. The RTO was unable to provide independent data on crucial safety parameters, such as the presence of indicators and functionality of exit gates, highlighting a lax approach by regulatory authorities.
This particular concern gains significance in light of recent incidents, such as the Samruddhi Highway mishap, where an obstructed exit gate trapped passengers inside a burning bus, resulting in tragic consequences.
Kolarkar emphasized the pivotal role of the RTO in ensuring road safety and preventing catastrophic accidents. He underscored the necessity for stringent enforcement of rules and regulations to avert the recurrence of such distressing incidents that inflict agony upon society.
