Pune RTO finds violations in 315 of 929 buses checked before Diwali, recovers Rs 25.82 lakh

Ahead of the Diwali rush, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Pune ran a special drive to inspect buses. The drive ran from September 1 to October 31. The RTO checked 929 buses in all and found violations of rules in 315 of them.

The drive brought the RTO Rs 25.82 lakh in recoveries, of which Rs 23.53 lakh was fines and Rs 2.29 lakh was arrears of tax.

Officials said the inspections covered buses plying in the city and its surrounding areas. Of the 315 vehicles against which action was taken, 185 cases have been decided so far. Not a single bus was seized in these two months.

Deputy Regional Transport Officer Swapnil Bhosale said the aim of the drive was to ensure that bus operators follow transport rules during the festival season, when demand for travel rises sharply. According to him, the action should improve passenger safety and bus operators should come forward to comply with RTO rules.

The drive ran in two phases. In September, the RTO inspected 433 buses and found violations in 154. Of these, 122 cases were decided and Rs 13.80 lakh was recovered, including Rs 12.43 lakh in fines and Rs 1.37 lakh in tax.

Inspections were stepped up in October. That month 496 buses were checked and violations were found in 161. The RTO decided 63 cases and recovered Rs 12.02 lakh, including Rs 11.10 lakh in fines and Rs 92,000 in tax.

The figures show that more buses were inspected in October than in September, but fewer cases were decided that month. Bhosale said action would continue.