Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 1: The Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) has issued a stern warning to auto and taxi drivers regarding overcharging commuters during the ongoing Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.
In a surprise inspection conducted by the Enforcement Wing of the MVD at the Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp of the Yatra and Railway Station Jammu today, the drivers were reminded of the importance of maintaining discipline on the roads and treating commuters with courtesy.
During the inspection, the MVD team emphasized that drivers found guilty of plying without fare meters or misbehaving with commuters would face penalties as per the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act and Rules made thereunder.
“Such violations could even result in the cancellation or suspension of the registration certificates (RCs), route permits (RPs), and driving licenses (DLs) associated with their vehicles,” the team told the drivers.
According to a statement released by the MVD, a total of 950 vehicles were checked by various teams from the RTO Office Jammu in June 2023. Out of these, 288 vehicles were challaned or compounded for various violations under the MV Act and its accompanying rules. The on-the-spot challans yielded a collection of Rs 10.22 lakh from the violators, while an additional amount of Rs 13.50 lakh is expected from the remaining vehicles.
The statement also revealed that the enforcement wing recommended the suspension of 11 driving licenses, 2 route permits, and 3 registration certificates for serious violations. Officers Rehana Tabassam, ARTO Headquartes; Esha Chib, ARTO BOI-G; Kuldeep Singh, ARTO BOI-P; Neeraj Sharma, ARTO F-S, along with Motor Vehicle Inspectors Vikas Singh, Surinder Kumar, Jasbir Singh, and Taranjot Singh from MVTA were part of the inspection teams.
“These measures are part of the MVD’s efforts to ensure a smooth and respectful travel experience for pilgrims during the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2023,” read the MVD statement.