Published On : Mon, Oct 20th, 2014

RTO plays spoil sport during peak season of Private Travel Companies

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Slug: RTO seizes 18 Private Tours and Travels Buses

Nagpur: As vacations start, most of the citizens of Nagpur who hail from other cities and towns (native places) would like to travel to their native places, so that they can enjoy the festival with their relatives, kith and kin.

Since the process of procuring a reserved birth or seat in trains is a herculean tasks and the trains running full to the brim, people who prefer to travel by trains, have started preferring to travel by private Tours and Travel buses. With many buses of many reputed companies providing suitable travel services, people have shifted their loyalties to the buses. Tickets to travel in these buses which ply passengers to inter-state and intra-state destinations are easily available too.

However, a recent incident five people were killed and ten other injured when a Private bus caught fire near Talegaon in Maharashtra’s Wardha district this morning. One year old infant was also among the dead. The fire was caused due to faulty Air Conditioner. The number of death and the injured was high since the emergency exit was not proper and the bus did not have any fire extinguisher.

With these incidents occurring on a regular basis, the Commissioner of Road Transport had allegedly ordered the Private Buses which does not adhere to the basic requirements laid down to be seized. Following these orders, the Regional Transport Officer Sarjerao Shelke had initiated action and 13 buses of Private Travels were seized in city limits and 5 buses were seized by RTO (Rural).

While speaking to Nagpur Today, 7 owners of private companies who had come to request the RTO to release their vehicles said that the RTO is not showing the written orders. Some of them even alleged that they are illegally detaining their buses to fleece them of hefty sums for Diwali. They claimed that all the private companies have all the necessary documents, permits, fitness certificates etc issued by the RTO. Seizing the vehicles without any advance notice is unwarranted.

One of the owner claimed that there is a shortage of RTO Inspectors and it takes 15-20 days to get a fitness or clearance certificates.

Most of the owners of private companies claimed that they have advance bookings of passengers. How are they to face them? Will reimbursement of their ticket cost return the lost trust, they wanted to know.

When asked what is it that RTO wants in their buses, they replied saying the following points have to be installed or rectified, only then can the bus be allowed to ply.

1. There should be a big Emergency exit. There should be no hindrance or blockade installed, ensuring smooth exit in case of emergency.

2. There should be many big sized fire extinguishers, with instructions available for dousing fire in case of emergency.

3. The Gangway or Aisle should be wide enough for two passengers to pass.

4. The vehicle measurements (length) should be according to the approved standards. The over-hang behind the rear wheel should not be more than 60 % of the sum of the distance between front and rear wheels.DSC_2195DSC_2194DSC_2196DSC_2197DSC_2198