Telangana orders crackdown on unfit, overloaded vehicles

The minister also directed officials to intensify mobile enforcement drives and seize vehicles operating without valid fitness certificates.

Hyderabad: Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Friday, July 17, directed officials to take stringent action against vehicles violating transport regulations, particularly those operating without valid fitness certificates or carrying overloaded goods.

Chairing a review meeting at the Transport Commissioner’s office, the minister instructed officials to seize vehicles found operating without fitness certification and those overloaded beyond the permissible limit. He stressed that there should be no compromise in enforcing road safety regulations.

Prabhakar directed the Transport Department to intensify enforcement drives across the state to improve road safety and ensure strict compliance with transport laws.

Reviewing enforcement measures following the abolition of check-posts across the state, the minister asked officials to make better use of available staff and increase inspections through mobile enforcement teams.

He also reviewed the performance of the mobile squads deployed district-wise since June 8 and instructed officials to impose heavy penalties on vehicle owners who fail to pay quarterly road taxes. Such vehicles should also be seized, he said.

The minister further directed officials to strictly enforce safety norms for sleeper buses, warning that violations affecting passenger safety should not be tolerated.

The review meeting was attended by Special Chief Secretary (Transport and Roads & Buildings) Vikas Raj, Transport Commissioner Ilambarithi, Additional Transport Commissioner Ramesh, Joint Transport Commissioners Chandrasekhar Goud and Shiva Lingayya, District Transport Commissioners and other senior officials.