Kalaburagi: Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has directed the officials to initiate strict measures to curb the movement of overloaded vehicles, which have been causing damage to the roads in Kalyana Karnataka region.
Addressing a review meeting of Kalaburagi division regional transport department held at the KKRTC office here on Wednesday, he said that the government is losing the royalty to be paid by these vehicles.
Pointing out that the roads in rural areas can handle the movement of vehicles weighing 10 to 15 tonnes, he said that these roads get damaged quickly if heavy trucks weighing 30 tonnes are allowed to ply. “Therefore, we should be aware of this and stop overloaded vehicles from plying on the road. In case anyone sees an overloaded vehicle, they should file a case against such vehicles”, he advised.
Responding to the minister, a transport officer said that a total of 607 cases have been registered in connection with the movement of overloaded vehicles since January this year, and 244 cases have been filed in Kalaburagi alone. A squad has been deployed in Gundagurti to prevent the movement of overloaded sand-laden vehicles, he said.
Rs 15 crore target
Stating that the revenue target of Rs 15 crore has been set this year by the Transport Department, he said that all divisions should meet the target within the stipulated period. The revenue target should be reached through measures like registration, insurance, increasing driving licenses and imposing fines on overloaded vehicles. The office should maintain a people-friendly atmosphere, and public works should be done without causing any delay, he said. He said that three scrapping agencies have been opened in the state for the disposal of vehicles that are more than 15 years old. Other interested parties are also allowed to open agencies in the state, he said.
Diesel prices
“The increase in diesel prices is causing a burden on transport corporations. It was inevitable to increase the price of diesel. In 2014, the price of one litre of diesel was Rs 49. How many times has Prime Minister Narendra Modi increased its price? We have increased it only a few times”, he said.
“Health check-ups are being conducted for transport employees. Health check-ups of KKRTC and North-West Transport Corporation employees will be conducted in July. Everyone above 40 years of age should undergo a health check-up in the hospitals”, he said.