BENGALURU: The Transport Department has decided to launch a crackdown on public transport vehicles like autorickshaws and taxis which have posters or stickers which are provocative or depict violence or vulgar.
Teams from the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) will launch a drive and if vehicles are found to have prior cases, they will be seized. The officials will also crack down on vehicles which have images which can disturb peace in society.
Many such instances of provocative messages on public transport vehicles have been shared on social media by netizens. Due to its negative impact, the Transport Department is now launching a drive against such posters, stickers and messages. Only those vehicles which have advertisement posters approved by the district authorities will be spared.
Additional Commissioner for Transport, C Mallikarjun, said, “We had earlier appealed to the owners and drivers to get rid of such messages. Vehicles should be in stock condition as sold from dealerships and no posters or labels can be put on them as per law. Except for FASTag and pollution certificate, no other kind of poster or label is allowed to be stuck on vehicles. Some vehicles sport advertisements after getting permission from the district deputy commissioners, and those will be exempted”.
Further, he said, “Some people put up their own posters and labels on vehicles like cars and autorickshaws, which are not permitted by law. In the coming days, we will sensitise our checking and take strict against such vehicles. We appeal to vehicle owners and drivers not to put up any such posters. Even if the posters are about road safety, permission is required. If vehicles are found to be violating rules, we will even cancel the registration”.