E-Paper
Rules begin at home!
TRANSPORT COMMISSIONER RP Shukla and his subordinates took the lead by removing the ?designation plate? from their cars on Wednesday before they remove those of others as a part of a four-month drive beginning Thursday against unauthorised use of red/blue beacons, hooters, and violation of other Traffic rules. The special drive is being launched on the directives of the High Court which had, last month, ordered the State Govt/Transport Dept to strictly check violation of Motor Vehicle rules.
TRANSPORT COMMISSIONER RP Shukla and his subordinates took the lead by removing the ‘designation plate’ from their cars on Wednesday before they remove those of others as a part of a four-month drive beginning Thursday against unauthorised use of red/blue beacons, hooters, and violation of other Traffic rules.
The special drive is being launched on the directives of the High Court which had, last month, ordered the State Government/Transport Department to strictly check violation of Motor Vehicle rules. The HC had asked it to publish public notices asking people to remove unauthorised fittings (beacons, designate plates etc) before July 20 and then initiate an intensive drive, at least for 10 days a month, for four months.
So, before they cracked down on others, Transport Commissioner and other officials started with their own vehicles (with a heavy heart of course!). Around 11.30 am, Transport Commissioner, RP Shukla accompanied by RTO, AK Pandey walked to the parking lot in his office compound and ordered removal of the designation plate (reading ‘Parivahan Ayukt’) from his official ambassador. Then, he got designation plates removed from other vehicles too, in his presence.
Within half an hour, all the cars on the compound ‘lost their identity’. Among the officials whose cars were part of the exercise included Additional Transport Commissioner (Administration) Sangh Mitra, Additional Transport Commissioner (Enforcement) Rameshwar Dayal, Secretary (STA) JA Siddiqi, Finance Controller Prabhu Dayal, and RTO AK Pandey.
Transport Commissioner RP Shukla said around 100 Transport officers including RTOs and ARTOs must have had designation plates removed from their vehicles all over the State on Wednesday. He said use of designation plates, as held by the High Court, was illegal. He categorically said that as of now, no dignitary, including the Governor and the CM, was authorised to display a designation plate. “However, the High Court has permitted the State Government, if it so wishes, to permit anyone to display a designation plate after making due amendments to the rules,” said he.
Pleas galore
IN ALL probability, the State Government will, as also authorised by the High Court, allow various categories of officers and dignitaries to display designation plates soon. Sources said the Traffic Department had already sent a request to the Government for allowing police officers associated with enforcement work to display designation plates on official vehicles. The Transport Department will also seek similar exemption for RTOs and ARTOs, besides other officers. Similar proposals and requests are likely to come from various other departments like Home, Trade Tax, Excise and Entertainment. So, ultimately, the designation plates may well return!
