Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

Fish-carts continue to ply despite ban order

By S. Shivakumar

Chennai Sept. 21 . The Chennai traffic police appear to have ignored the Madras High Court orders banning the movement of fish-carts, which create accident situation on city roads.

Several fish-carts were seen violating the ban order and plying in different parts despite the presence of police personnel though there is a ban on their movement for three weeks.

The failure of the police and transport departments to take cognisance of these illegal vehicles during the past few years has led to proliferation and an estimated 10,000 vehicles were operating in the city.

Studies by various agencies revealed that drivers who hailed from economically weaker sections owned hardly 10 per cent of the fish-carts.

Traders and local political party functionaries owned most of these carts, which were a convenient mode of transport for goods and even people.

These illegal contraptions are basically an extended chassis with wooden planks nailed together and welded to form a platform covered on three sides, propelled by a motorcycle engine.

The demand for the ban on these vehicles is high, as apart from being illegal, they pose a threat for other road users. Fish-carts killed over 12 persons on the city roads during the past three years.

Apart from the loss of life and limbs, it caused economic loss to the insurance sector as it created claims that were not eligible for insurance.

Traffic planners point out that the Government should streamline fish carts to ensure the weaker sections of society who depend on it for their livelihood are not affected.

The suggestion is fish-carts be fitted with engines below the capacity of 25 CC so that they can be covered under the Hackney Carriage Act. The traffic police can regulate these vehicles.

At present, most of these vehicles are fitted with 250 CC engines. These engines are suspected to be removed from stolen vehicles and are available in the market for rates ranging from Rs. 2,000 to 3,000.

Moreover, a survey of 100 fish-cart drivers revealed that 90 did not have any driving licence. As these vehicles do not have a safety clearance by the vehicle test authorities as required under the Central MV Act for powered vehicles, they cannot be registered or their drivers licensed.

This leads to a piquant situation where vehicle owners involved in accidents with fish-carts lose their `no claim bonus' while there is no liability on the part of the cart driver.

Motorists hope that now that the authorities are armed with the court order they would enforce the rule strictly.

Also, a survey of the fish-cart drivers could be taken and provided with carts as per safety norms.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Fish-carts continue to ply despite ban order
• Awareness campaign on malaria
• Murder case solved
• Head constable held for conniving with Prakash
• Metrowater plans `rain centre' to propagate RWH
• Inner Ring Road `overflowing' with garbage

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu