Transport dept to discuss fate of illegal totos, vans with RTOs

The state transport department has decided to hold a video conference on May 13 with all the Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) to take stock of the present number of totos and motorised vans operating in the districts with permit and the routes on which those ply.

It may be mentioned that the Calcutta high court had formed a high power committee on May 6 to check the menace of plying of illegal totos, motorised vans and auto-rickshaws in different parts of the state. The committee was ordered to take necessary steps within the next 15 days and submit a report before the Court in this regard.

Sources in the transport department said that in the video conference, the RTOs will be asked to provide the number of totos and motorised vans, commonly called ‘vanos’, that are ready with permits and the routes on which the vehicles ply.

Sources added that steps would be taken to give out permits to equal number of totos and vanos. The high power committee – comprising Home Secretary, Director General of police, an Additional Secretary of the transport department and commissioners of Kolkata Police and other commissionerates including Howrah, Barrackpore and Bidhannagar – will look into the matter and discuss how to resolve the issue following directions of the Court.

It is learnt that the transport department may also contact the Central Institute of Road Transport to get a permanent solution for the problem. Though it is yet to be confirmed, a discussion on this had taken place among top officials of the transport department, sources said.

It may be recalled that the Division Bench of the Calcutta high court, comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Arijit Banerjee, on May 6 had ordered the committee to hold a meeting at the earliest and chalk out a necessary plan to curb the problem which is causing inconvenience to common people.