Saturday, 05 February 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
The regional transport office (RTO) of Dehradun has requisitioned about 2,250 vehicles for poll duties in the ensuing Assembly elections. The RTO officials have also sent a proposal to the state administration for an increase in the rates of the vehicle operators of the requisitioned vehicles after many were miffed over the low rates paid by the administration.
The regional transport officer (Enforcement) Sunil Sharma informed that the transport office needs about 1,400 vehicles in the district to ensure smooth conduct of the poll duties on February 14 but if the authorities concerned issue orders to follow Covid-19 protocols like minimising the number of person in a vehicle, it would require around 2,300 vehicles for the poll duties. He said that these 2,300 vehicles would include 1,450 smaller vehicles, 750 buses and 100 vehicles for carrying goods and other items. Considering this, the RTO has so far requisitioned 2,250 vehicles as a contingency plan in case they require more vehicles for election duties, he said.
Recently, many public transport operators like taxi and city bus operators expressed their disappointment at the amount paid by the administration after their vehicles get requisitioned for election duties. Talking about the issue, Sharma said that the RTO has considered the issue and sent a proposal to the state administration to consider increasing the rates of the vehicle operators. The RTO has proposed new rates for operators as per their vehicles but since the proposal is yet to be approved by the authorities concerned, the officer said that nothing can be said yet about the amount to be paid to them for election duty this year.
