Transport dept opens counter to help car owners

The Transport department has opened a temporary RTO counter at the fire mishap spot near Yelahanka airbase to inspect and assess the extent of damage to vehicles and to give away reports to vehicle owners so that they can facilitate claims on their insurances.

Automobile insurance companies have put up stalls at the parking lot for the convenience of the aggrieved vehicle owners.

As it was a major fire incident, the department has also opened a help desk at the Yelahanka RTO in Singanayakanahalli. The help desk will remain open until 10 pm on Saturday, and from 9.30 am from Sunday to help owners with any kind of assistance regarding details available with the RTO’s database.

The owners had a tough time in identifying their vehicles as around 300 vehicles out of 340 were charred beyond recognition, said C P Narayanaswamy, Additional Commissioner.

Engine numbers in almost 300 cars are difficult to ascertain as the numbers are embossed on a plate riveted to the engine, and most of them have melted. However, the vehicles can be identified by the chassis number and the owner could get the report on inspection and assessment of the extent of damage, Narayanaswamy added.

The Transport department will facilitate the issue of duplicate registration certificates (RCs) and driving licenses (DL) to those who have lost them in the fire incident.

“As soon as the FIRs are done, our men at the temporary RTO counter will identify the vehicle and will instantly process a report assessing the extent of damage and issue the report to the respective owners,” said Narayanaswamy.

The Yelahanka police are also at the spot preparing preliminary reports from damaged vehicles and taking statements from aggrieved owners so that they can collect their FIRs on Sunday (February 24, 2019). “Our men are at the spot conducting basic inquiries with car owners and the reports will be processed and given to the aggrieved party on Sunday,” said Kala Krishnaswamy, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East) Division.