RTO to go tough on tax violators

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 18, 2016: The Mangaluru, RTO, Regional Transport Office, will go tough on violators of Motor Vehicles Act and Rules, due  to the fact that many instances of tax evasion and also violation of other norms has surfaced. Recently, the officials seized five buses, one private service vehicle and one multi-utility vehicle. While one of the seized buses was plying as a city bus without having paid tax, the owner of another bus had not paid road tax for about a year. The MUV was said to be plying with a fake registration number, while the owner of the private service vehicle too had not paid tax.

In-charge Senior Regional Transport Officer G.S. Hegde told media that the department has realised about Rs. 6 lakh towards pending tax from eight vehicles after it launched the special drive. The special drive would continue and dues will be collected from vehicle owners.

RTO Officer Hegde stated that the department would initiate a series of special drives to check a host of parameters. The focus would be on preventing operation of transport vehicles older than 15 years, as the government has banned their operation on the ground of increased environment pollution.

A special drive too would be conducted to check environment pollution and to verify whether all vehicles are having a valid pollution free certificate. Autorickshaws too would come under the scanner of the department for tax compliance, compliance with environmental norms, he said.

Joint Commissioner for Transport, Shivamogga, Narendra Holkar, who visited the RTO, Mangaluru, recently  has given strict instructions to conduct special drives across the district, RTO  Hegde mentioned.
At the same time, the department would check violation of permit conditions by city and service buses. Many buses, though were given permits to operate from Kankanady, were found to be operating up to State Bank, RTO Hegde said. Heavy penalty would be levied on violators of permits issued.