Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi
Udupi, Oct 19: Despite fines being imposed, private and government buses continue to ply through Udupi city without doors or with doors left unfitted, raising serious concerns over passenger safety and drawing public ire over the authorities’ failure to enforce the rules strictly.
About a month ago, the police launched a special enforcement drive against private buses operating without doors, with doors not fitted in place, or carrying passengers beyond the permitted capacity.
Warnings were issued and fines imposed on violators. Although the Regional Transport Office (RTO) was expected to assist the police in the campaign, no RTO officer or staff member reportedly participated in the drive.
Traffic police are now fining around four to five such buses on some days, with approximately Rs 45,000 collected in penalties so far.
However, the lack of stringent enforcement by the police and the RTO has done little to deter bus operators. Private and government buses continue to carry excessive numbers of passengers, with some commuters forced to hang precariously from the doorways. Any loss of balance could send them tumbling from moving buses, potentially resulting in serious injuries or fatalities.
Members of the public have expressed the view that such dangerous situations could have been prevented had the police, district administration and RTO enforced the regulations strictly from the outset.
RTO officials under fire for lack of action
Despite repeated violations of transport regulations, including the failure to fit mandatory doors on buses, RTO officials have reportedly remained inactive. Public complaints allege that RTO personnel are neither joining the police in enforcement drives nor taking action on the ground against vehicles flouting the rules.
The deputy commissioner had earlier made it mandatory for every bus to be fitted with doors and had granted bus owners a stipulated period to comply. However, with several operators continuing to disregard the directive, the police took the initiative to penalise buses operating without doors or carrying passengers beyond the permitted capacity.
Udupi superintendent of police Hariram Shankar has warned that the enforcement drive will continue in the coming days and that action will be taken against buses violating the regulations.
He also made it clear that buses found without doors during their fitness certificate (FC) inspections would not be permitted to operate.
Despite warnings and fines, the continued violation of passenger safety rules has fuelled public dissatisfaction, with residents questioning the lack of coordinated enforcement and calling for stricter action against errant bus operators.