Transport department planning to regulate passenger pick-up and drop-off on stage carriage routes

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun

The Transport department is considering action to regulate all stage carriage buses and magic vehicles, allowing them to pick up and drop off passengers only at designated stops in Dehradun. The department has begun working on the implementation of this proposal, the regional transport officer (Administration) of Dehradun division Sandeep Saini said.

He informed that the department felt the need to consider this after its recent observations. Such vehicle operators stop vehicles anywhere on the route and stay there for unregulated time that causes nuisance and traffic jams. He stated that as part of a recent initiative, all staff and officers of the Dehradun Regional Transport Office (RTO) used public transport to reach their workplace. One RTO official took a Smart City bus from IT Park to Darshan Lal Chowk and found the bus clean and safe. From Darshan Lal Chowk, the official walked to Ghantaghar using the footpath. During this walk, the official noticed several bikes parked on the footpath and an open slab above a roadside drain, posing a potential safety hazard.

Saini stated that the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) will be requested to repair the footpath as soon as possible. The official then took another Smart City bus from Clock Tower to the RTO office. It was also observed that some Smart City buses are operating on the Sahaspur to Langha route. Saini said that the department will ask the officials of the Smart City project to rationalise routes and ensure buses serve urban areas, as enough buses are already operating from ISBT through Ballupur to Vikasnagar. However, some parts of the city still lack access to public transport.

Saini said that nother RTO official reported that there has been improvement in bus service on the Doiwala route. Staff members also reported overloading by Vikram vehicles. In response, the team of the ARTO (Enforcement) has been directed to take action against such violations. Besides this, a team also conducted a checking drive on the Clock Tower to Premnagar route and instructed mini bus operators to display route details clearly on their vehicles. Five vehicles were fined during the inspection, Saini said.