State Transport dept issues letter to DMs to restrict unauthorised vehicles on national and state highways

Kolkata: The state Transport department on Tuesday issued a letter to all district magistrates for discussion on restricting the plying of unauthorised vehicles on national or state highways and important district roads.

It has come to the department’s notice that a several unauthorised vehicles, including auto rickshaws, totos and other three-wheeled passenger vehicles are plying on the national or state highways and important district roads.

According to the department, this has resulted in fatal accidents, as well as slowing vehicular movement on the national and state highways.

In the letter to all the DMs, it has been stated that local police authorities and local bodies, including municipal corporations, municipalities and Panchayat may be involved in the consultative and decision-making process to ensure that these vehicles are either completely prohibited on identified routes or restrict themselves to the allotted routes.

State Transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty had said in the state Assembly: “Private bus operators have stopped operation in certain routes with passengers opting for autos and totos in certain parts of national and state highways. Though these vehicles are travelling in short routes, the entire long route is getting affected and private buses are not getting enough passengers as per their expectation which has led to decrease in bus service. Therefore, we felt the need to regulate the movement of small passenger vehicles on these main roads.”