Legal action initiated against 34 tourist bus operators in Kozhikode for flouting norms

Permits of vehicles intercepted for serious violations like the use of tampered speed governors will be cancelled, says MVD official

Enforcement squads of the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) initiated legal action against owners and drivers of 34 tourist buses in Kozhikode district as part of the State-wide special drive against safety rule violations.

MVD officials said a total of 34 buses had been intercepted on Thursday and Friday as part of the aggressive checking in the wake of the Vadakkanchery accident.

Spot action was initiated on noticing illegal alterations and fittings such as laser lights, banned multi-tone horns, and multi-colour LEDs. Special squad members said the vehicles would be blacklisted if they were not presented again for inspection within the specified date after removing the illegal fittings.

“Permits of vehicles intercepted for serious violations like the use of tampered speed governors will be cancelled. Licences of drivers who operated such vehicles will be suspended,” said an inspector attached to the MVD enforcement squad. According to him, some of the vehicles were blacklisted on Thursday itself.

MVD officials said there was no laxity on their part in enforcing regulations. Last month, permits of some of the city buses were even cancelled on the charge of road racing, they said.

Meanwhile, Contract Carriage Operators Association (CCOA) leaders alleged that flaws in road enforcement activities were spoiling the business of genuine entrepreneurs who operated services in compliance with all rules and regulations. They claimed that only a small percentage of operators were found violating rules and they should be penalised.