Thursday, February 7, 2002
The Hindustan Times
STATE HUMAN Rights Commission has proposed that the Transport department should incorporate representatives of non-government organisations, including a member of Consumer Unity Trust Society (CUTS) in the committee constituted for periodical checks on overloading jeeps on national highway and Agra-Jaipur highway. To discuss the proposal, the Human Rights Commission has invited commissioner transport and assistant inspector general traffic on March 6 to the commission.
This proposal was moved in the second hearing of the petition filed by CUTS demanding the ban of jeeps as public transport vehicle as many accidents were occurring due to overloading of jeeps.
The data presented by CUTS before the commission said that in Jaipur city, 25 accidents involving jeeps occurred last year claiming 266 victims.Out of these, 177 deaths and 149 grievous injuries occurred due to overload of jeeps.
A representative of Consumer Unity Trust Society, said that rules of the Motor Vehicle Act should be strictly implemented and stringent action taken against people violating them, the commission also said that people need to be told about the dangers of overloading jeeps.
The representatives from Consumer Unity Trust Society, said that permits should not be given to jeeps as a private vehicles as according to the new Motor Vehicle Act, permits should be given only to buses of state transport and Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) for their day to day operations. Consumer Unity Trust Society, also wanted an increase in the number of flying squads for checking overloading on the jeeps.