Flouting ban: Commercial use of tractor-trailers goes unabated

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 13

The commercial use of tractor-trailers is banned in the city. Still, these vehicles are used commercially without any check and lackadaisical attitude of the authorities concerned putting lives of commuters at risk. Interestingly, the traffic and the transport wing issue challans when the matter is highlighted, but no sustained drive has been launched to check the violation, which has increased use of such vehicles for the commercial purpose.

Hundreds of such vehicles can be seen plying on roads early morning when children are on their way to schools. Recklessly driven tractor-trailers carrying bricks and other construction material are a common sight in the city while cops and transport officials turn a blind eye towards the violation.

Recently, brick kiln owners, sand mafia contractors and others were found using tractor-trailers for commercial gains. In majority of cases, these vehicles were used to supply sand, bricks, gravel and other construction material in the district.

Use of tractor-trailers for commercial purpose causes loss to the state exchequer as owners of such vehicles do not pay any tax to the government.

Punjab being agriculture dominated state, there is no tax on tractor-trailers when used in farms, but taking advantage of this relaxation unscrupulous traders misuse these vehicles for commercial benefits.

Perturbed over the misuse of tractor-trailers due to which many road accidents happened in the past, the Punjab Government banned the use

such vehicles for all commercial purposes.

As per the recent orders issued by the State Transport Department, all enforcement agencies, including district transport offices and traffic wings in the district have been asked to issue challans and act as per the law against owners of tractor-trailers used commercially.

Senior officials confirmed that they would order a crackdown on all such vehicles used commercially in violation of the norms.

“We will launch a sustained drive to check such misuse of tractor-trailers,” they stated.

Recent orders

Perturbed over the misuse of tractor-trailers due to which many accidents have happened in the past, the Punjab Government banned the use ofsuch vehicles for all commercial purposes. As per the recent orders issued by the State Transport Department, all enforcement agencies, including district transport offices and traffic wings in the district have been asked to issue challans and act as per the law against the owners of tractor-trailers used commercially.

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