Date:07/11/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/11/07/stories/2009110752000600.htm

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Drive against use of private vehicles as tourist vehicles

Staff Reporter

Six owners of private vehicles have been booked this fiscal

Vehicles plying in violation of Motor Vehicles Act to be seized, passengers disembarked
Private vehicles used as transport vehicles, cause great loss to the State Exchequer

Tirupur: The Department of Transport has launched a special drive against the use of private vehicles as tourist vehicles in the district following complaints received from different quarters including taxi operators.

Legal action

Regional Transport Officer R. Rajanikanth told The Hindu that legal action would be initiated against the owners who were allowing their vehicles to be used either as tourist taxi or for commercial purposes, after registering the same for private purposes.

“Vehicles, thus plying in violation of Motor Vehicles Act will be seized and the passengers disembarked on the spot,” he said. According to him, the owners of private vehicles who run their vehicles as transport vehicles are causing great loss to the State Exchequer as the tax levied from a tourist vehicle is much higher vis-À-vis that obtained from a private vehicle.

Six booked

As many as six owners of private vehicles had been booked this fiscal under Regional Transport Office (Tirupur North) limits for allowing their vehicles to be used as transport vehicles.

Air horns

The transport department also had started removing air horns used in the vehicles.

Fine

The RTO warned that a fine up to Rs. 10,000 would be levied from the violators as usage of air horns is a violation of pollution control norms.