GUWAHATI, May 19 ? State Transport Minister Anjan Dutta today informed that Assam Motor Vehicles Rules, 2002 would be framed within the year in order to streamline traffic system and enhance safety measures in all modes of transport. Talking to newsmen here, the Transport Minister informed that although the All India Motor Vehicle Act was passed in 1988, a corresponding Assam Motor Vehicle Rules was yet to be framed. He said the Assam Motor Vehicles Act which is being framed, is aimed at increasing revenue collection and minimising violation of traffic rules as well as implementing road safety measures.
The proposed set of rules will make it mandatory for one to obtain driving training certificate from government recognised institutions to secure a commercial driving licence. Such training schools will be set up in all district headquarters in the private sector which will be inspected periodically by Transport department officials. Driving examination will be conducted in these institutes by Transport department officials from the rank of an MVI. In order to improve the motor vehicles servicing sector in the State, the proposed set of rules will make it mandatory for one to acquire trade licence for setting up motor repairing garages which will have to be manned by ITI-trained mechanics for ?B? & ?C? grade garages. In case of ?A? grade garages, the supervisor mechanic should be either an automobile engineering diploma holder or a mechanical engineer. The minister said this would also generate employment for technically skilled youths, in addition to improving the automobile service and repairing sector.
In order to plug leakages in collection of inter-state check-gate within the State, the Transport department would computerise the weigh-bridges at Srirampur, Buxirhat and Khanapara. These computerised weigh-bridges will be monitored from Guwahati through video cameras. Besides, operations in all the 23 district transport offices in the State will be computerised to check leakage in revenue collection and prevent circulation of fake driving licences. The Transport Minister claimed ?revival? of the sick Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) had been the major achievement of the department during the first one year of his tenure. He informed that with selective repairing of ASTC?s shutdown buses, its own fleet strength could be increased to 200 buses from only 80 buses. This has yielded a net income of Rs 421.42 lakh during the year 2001-02 registering a 49 per cent increase over the income of preceding year. He claimed that without making a single rupee investment the ASTC could net Rs 260.84 lakh during the year 2001-02 from private plying under its banner. The number of private buses under ASTC banner has increased to 727.
Meanwhile, 724 employees have been given voluntary retirement by the ASTC authority so far with the Rs 25 crore received from the Planning Commission which will provide another Rs 41 crore in the current year to further downsize the ASTC staff strength. After full implementation of the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), the total liability of payment of salary will be reduced to Rs 80 lakh per month. The Corporation is planning to purchase 34 vehicles worth Rs 4 crore during current year with the Plan fund released by the State government.
Meanwhile, construction of the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Guwahati is going on in full swing with Rs 16 crore provided by the NEC which has also sanctioned another Rs 7.14 crore for construction of an ISBT in Silchar. Fund has been sought from the NEC for ISBTs in Jorhat and Tinsukia and also for construction of a commercial complex and yatri nivas at ASTC?s Paltanbazar complex.
After ?turning? the ASTC, the Transport Minister is now planning to lease out damaged IWT vessels from the dock to private parties to set up floating restaurants and floating markets in Guwahati (Bharalumukh) and in Millennium Park at Calcutta. A total 13 almost condemned IWT vessels are lying idle in Calcutta dock, besides several others in Guwahati. Taking up repairing of these vessels is beyond the means of the department which has decided to make money by leasing out these to private parties.
The Transport Minister said best possible measures would be taken to prevent autorickshaw pullers from exploiting helpless passengers. He said non-installation of fare metres in these three-wheelers after three repeated warnings would lead to cancellation of registration. However, he sought proactive public cooperation to tame these autorickshaw drivers who are notorious for violating rules. In the last one year, while trying streamline operations in the ASTC and other wings under the Transport department, a total of 67 employees of different ranks were dismissed while 43 were suspended from the service. Out of these, 61 employees were terminated in the ASTC alone.