SCVDA gheraos RTO for failing to call for meeting
Mangaluru: Drivers of vehicles carrying school children gheraoed the Regional Transport Office for not fixing a date for a meeting to discuss various issues here, on July 13.
Speaking to Mangalorean.com, Sunil Kumar Bajal said that three weeks ago, the SCVDA had protested and requested to fix a date for a meeting on the problems faced by drivers after new orders were issued in the wake of the Trasi tragedy. They had also demanded that the meeting should be conducted in the presence of the deputy commissioner. “But so far, the date has not been fixed for the meeting and the drivers are facing problems”.
Bajal further said that after the Trasi incident, the RTO has targeted auto and van drivers and is filing cases against them. “We cannot blame the auto and van drivers for all the accidents. We have submitted a memorandum to the DC, RTO, police officers, MLAs, MPs and the people’s representatives to call for a meeting in this regard. But the district administration has not called for a meeting even now. On June 27, when a meeting was held at the Roshni Nilaya, the Regional Transport Officer had assured that a meeting would be called within two days. But it has been almost 15 days now,” he added.
He also stressed that the district administration wakes up only when there is a tragedy. “The district administration talks about the safety of children only after an accident. In reality, the drivers take care of the children every day when they take them to school and back home. It shows that the district administration is not really concerned about the children but only puts on a show when anything goes wrong. If the district administration fails to convene a meeting within 2 days, the association of the drivers of vehicles carrying school children will call for a district-level bandh.”
Honorary advisor of the association Umesh Shetty also spoke on the occasion. A memorandum was submitted to the RTO G S Hegde. After receiving the memorandum, the RTO said that a meeting would be convened on July 20 at the DC office. He also assured to stop filing cases against auto and van drivers.
Mohan Attavar, Mohammed Ansar, Praveen Ladyhill, Gangadhar Rai, Chittaranjan, Satish Poojary, Gangadhar Shettigar, Jayaram, Benjamin Veigas, Lokesh and others were also present.