The number of campaigns that traffic directorate and State Transport Authority (STA) keep undertaking against the violation of traffic rules do not seem to include vehicles used for governmental works, which is why taxis contracted by the government for various government officials continue to blatantly flout traffic regulations. The Dehradun District Magistrate (DM) SA Murugesan and Dehradun municipal commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey are among the various government officials using such taxis which flout the rules.
Both these taxis contracted by government have taxi number plates, which according to the law should have the numbers written in black on a yellow background. However, violating this basic rule both the vehicles are operating with white number plates on which the numbers are written in black ink.
When asked about this Additional Transport Commissioner Sunita Singh said, “We will be issuing notices through Regional Transport Office (RTO) to the owners. As for the government vehicles in Secretariat, we communicate with the state estate department from time to time; once again we will ask them to look into it.”
When asked about the wrong number plate used on taxis used by government officials, the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) Arvind Pandey said that if RTO office had issued those number plates, it would have been according to the Motor Vehicle Act and not as reported.
When asked about this, DM Murugesan said, “I am aware about it. There should be a yellow number plate on a taxi. If there is some challan the owner will have to pay.”
When asked whether he will be using the same taxi knowing that it is violating traffic rule he said, “We will see.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the owner of the taxi contracted for the Dehradun municipal commissioner was issued notice on the May 2 by the RTO, however till date the owner has neither presented the vehicle in RTO for inspection nor has changed the number plate, with the vehicle still being used by Dehradun municipal commissioner.
Despite repeated attempts to get his view, the municipal commissioner could not be contacted on the phone.
