PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Several public transport vehicle operators staged a protest at the Transport headquarters in Dehradun on Tuesday against what they termed the impractical and questionable arrangements of the department.
The protestors, including taxi, mini buses, tempos and city bus operators, among others, raised concerns about the distance of the vehicle fitness centres in Doiwala block’s Laltappad and on Dakpathar Langha Road, which are approximately 30 to 35 kilometres away from the Dehradun’s regional transport office.
The city bus union president Vijay Dandriyal said that vehicles coming from Mussoorie have to travel 60 to 70 kilometres to reach these centres and 60 per cent of the vehicles travelling to these centres will have to do so without a permit. “In case of an accident, we will face financial difficulties, including selling our vehicles and other assets to cover insurance claims. Visiting these fitness centres takes an entire day. If a vehicle has any mechanical issues, owners have to make multiple visits for repairs and secure another slot for fitness testing. The increased distance will lead to additional diesel expenses of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 due to extra travel of 100 to 150 kilometres,” he said.
He said that the central government’s objective is not to inconvenience vehicle owners but to eliminate corruption and make the fitness certification process more accessible. They demanded that the fitness tests continue at the Dehradun RTO until a new centre is established within five to seven kilometres of the city. They warned that if their demands were not met, around 40,000 registered vehicles in the city will go on strike.
In response to the protest, a meeting was held at the Transport Headquarters, attended by Dandriyal, joint transport commissioner SK Singh, deputy transport commissioner Rajeev Mehra and RTO Anita Chamola, along with representatives of other transport unions from Rishikesh, Mussoorie, Harrawala and other areas of the district.
Dandriyal said that Singh stated that, as per the High Court’s order, fitness testing will resume at the RTO office within three days. It was also agreed to send a proposal to the government for setting up a fitness centre in Dehradun, he said. He stated that the meeting also addressed concerns regarding the increased fitness fees for vehicles older than 15 years. A proposal will be sent to the government for reconsideration of these charges. The unions also asked to install CCTV cameras at fitness centres to prevent illegal collection of fees.
