The Operation Focus 3 drive launched by the Motor Vehicles department (MVD) in the State on Friday, following the bus accident at Vadakkanchery in Palakkad that claimed nine lives, booked 1,279 contract carriages on Saturday for flouting safety norms. The violations included illegal alteration, installing devices that emit bright light and high-decibel music, setting up dance floors on buses, and manipulation in speed governors.
The MVD officials registered 5,169 cases for violation of safety norms in contract carriages. A fine of ₹26.15 lakh was also imposed for flouting provisions in the Motor Vehicles Act on Saturday alone. The department had imposed a compounding fee of ₹2.16 lakh on Friday. The crackdown on tourist buses will continue till October 16.
The MVD officials appealed to educational institution heads to provide details of the vehicles booked for students’ excursions to the joint regional transport officer or regional transport officers. They would inspect the bus before the trip and give instructions to the bus crew and team leader of the trip so as to ensure a safe journey, said the MVD in a release.
The department will cancel the fitness certificate of the vehicle and suspend its registration for charges like illegal and dangerous behaviour by crew and overspeeding. The public has been urged to inform the office of the district enforcement regional transport office about violations by these vehicles.
