RTO appeals to parents not to send children to school in white-board cabs

BENGALURU: The Transport Department has appealed to parents not to send their children to school in white-board vehicles or cabs due to safety concerns. These vehicles, used for commercial purposes, flout transport regulations, exceed seating capacity and lack safety measures.

In Bengaluru, many schools use white-board vehicles for pickup and drop-off, violating traffic rules. The traffic police have fined drivers and warned them against repeat offences.

The regional transport authority officials have seized 28 vehicles and filed 544 cases against road tax failing fitness tests and violating other rules between April and August.

Mallikarjun, Additional Commissioner of Transport Department, said that children are taken to many schools in the city including Vittal Mallya Road, St Mark’s Road, UB City in white-board vehicles. “The traffic police have fined the drivers for filling children in excess of the prescribed seating capacity and warned them not to make the mistake again. The white-board vehicles pay only lifetime tax and they don’t have to get regular fitness certificates. The condition of the vehicles is also not good. Sometimes, they are being used for commercial purposes right under the nose of the police”.

RTO officials have found vehicles in the city without paying tax and not in good condition. From April to August, 544 cases were registered and 28 vehicles were seized. The RTO officials will conduct a special drive next week to crack down on white-board vehicle owners, Mallikarjun said.