RTO begins drive against illegal vehicles ferrying pax between Pune & Mumbai – Hindustan Times

Clamping down on unauthorised private vehicles ferrying passengers between the cities of Pune and Mumbai on a daily basis, the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) has taken action against 62 such vehicles, seizing eight of them, in the past seven days. In the last one week, the Pune RTO has started a special inspection drive, deploying two squads that visit random locations along the highway to check for illegal vehicles.

Sanjeev Bhor, deputy regional transport officer, Pune RTO, said, “For this special drive, two squads have been constituted which randomly visit several spots on the highway beginning 7 am every day. As many people travel between Pune and Mumbai by these illegal transport vehicles, the squads identify these vehicles, check their documents and if found guilty, impose fines on the drivers. If any vehicle does not have proper documents, it is seized by the RTO and accordingly, action has been taken against 62 vehicles till now, with eight of them being seized.”

According to the Pune RTO, many vehicles illegally ferry passengers between Pune and Mumbai on a daily basis. The passengers are packed in private vehicles which do not have valid transport permits. Among the major spots where such illegal vehicles are found picking up passengers include Pune railway station, Katraj, Navale bridge chowk, Warje and Wakad bridge chowk. In an accident which occurred on the Pune-Mumbai expressway earlier this year, it was found that the passengers who were injured were travelling in a private tourist vehicle without a valid permit.

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Pune RTO adds sections 420, 505 and 114 against Rapido in FIR

Earlier last month, the Pune RTO had lodged an FIR at the Bundgarden police station against the Rapido company, while the complainant in the FIR was RTO inspector Anant Ramraje Bhosale, 38 and the FIR was lodged under section 418 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC); sections 66, 93, 192 (A), 146, 193, 197 of the Motor Vehicles Act; and section 66 (D) of the IT Act. Now however, sections 420, 505 and 114 of the IPC and the names of Rapido officers – Arvind Sanka and Shantanu Sharma have been added in the FIR.

Ajit Shinde, Pune regional transport officer, said, “We had lodged an FIR against the Rapido company as there are no permissions given by the state transport department to bike-taxis. Now, the police department has added a few more sections to the FIR as it was found that despite their application being rejected by the RTO, Rapido’s services are still continuing in Pune. While the Rapido officers are issuing statements in the media disturbing the atmosphere.”