In a crack down on errant heavy vehicles in Bermo, the District transport officials seized 16 vehicles for violation of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Sources said that,in a five-hour drive that started on Friday morning, transport department teams led by Bokaro District Transport Officer (DTO) Santosh Garg,alongwith Additional Collector Vijay Gupta SDO Bermo Pream Ranjan Dy SP CCR and Officer in Charge Umesh Kumar Thakur challaned the 16 vehicles for carrying coal and coal dust more than the permitted limit, non-payment of road tax and violation of permit conditions.

Inspector cum Officer in Charge Umesh Kumar Thakur officer, said, “The Bokaro Dy commissioner had issued directions to conduct a drive against heavy vehicles that were overloading. The teams penalised many heavy vehicles, including buses, trucks and lorries, for violating various norms.”

?The drive was held in areas like Jarandih,Kathara and Bokaro thermal within limits of same police station. A DTO official said that the drive was conducted in areas in the city where the movement of heavy vehicles is maximum. He pointed out that heavy vehicles are not allowed to ply before 9 pm in areas in the heart of the city like Kathara,Jarandih and Bokaro thermal.

While many drivers claimed that they were unaware of the overloading rules and did not know that their vehicle was carrying more than permissible limit,” the local drivers said. ?The day long drive, with focus on curbing the menace posed by overloading by heavy coal and dust vehicles, will conclude late in the evening on Friday.

Similar drives have been launched in other parts of Bermo as well on the directions of Dy Commissioner Mukesh Kumar.  DTO, Bokaro has been asked to take action against overloaded heavy vehicles in their respective areas and lodged FIR against seized vehicles including 4 Hywa from Ash pond,4 Bulkers near BTPS gate,one craine one hydra and 6 heavy vehicles from Jarandih at Bokaro thermal police  station, informed Officer in Charge of Bokaro thermal police station.