Overloaded vehicles on RTA radar

Blurb: Operators fined Rs8.62 cr

Quote: We have nabbed some youths involved in such activities and handed them over to the police. But we have to be watchful as these things still continue — Dr Sandeep Goyat, Secretary, Rohtak RTA

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, August 23

The Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Rohtak, has tightened its noose around the operators of commercial vehicles passing through the district, with overloaded vehicles on special RTA radar.

As per the official sources, the Rohtak RTA has challaned more than 2,700 vehicles for violation of rules and collected a fine of Rs 8.62 crore from their operators from January 2021 to date.

“We have collected more than Rs 1 crore as fine from the vehicle operators violating rules every month since January this year. Up to 80 per cent of the said amount has been collected from the operators of overloaded vehicles,” said Dr Sandeep Goyat, Secretary, Rohtak RTA.

Talking to The Tribune today, the RTA Secretary stated that most of these vehicles challaned for overloading were carrying construction material.

Goyat revealed that a gang of miscreants spying on the RTA officials and sending live locations of the raiding teams to unscrupulous vehicle operators through WhatsApp was another challenge for them.

“We have nabbed some youths involved in such activities and handed them over to the police. But we have to be watchful as these things still continue,” he said, adding that the possibility of the involvement of department employees could not be ruled out.

The officer said members of such gangs hung around the RTA office and alerted the vehicle operators as soon as a raiding party left the office. Some gang members also chased vehicles of the raiding teams and shared their live location with the operators.

“On getting alerted, the vehicle operators park their vehicles at some dhaba or other location outside the district and cross the district only after getting a green signal from the gang members tailing the raiding teams,” said Goyat.

Box

Month No. of challans Amount recovered

January 336 Rs 1,02,97,600

February 334 Rs 1,12,31,900

March 440 Rs 1,23,01,500

April 328 Rs 1,06,18,000

May 281 Rs 1,00,80,400

June 336 Rs 1,07,78,750

July 357 Rs 1,12,43,500

August Rs 97 lakh (approx) to date