Consumer Forums Want Better Oversight of Minibuses in Nilgiris

At the quarterly meeting with consumer forums held by the RTO, the consumer associations wanted measures to be taken to prevent minibuses from charging fares higher than the prescribed rates.

The use of loud horns and the playing of music in minibuses must be curbed and drivers and conductors of these buses must wear uniforms and name badges, they said. They also wanted minibuses to be operated during night hours to meet public demand.

An inspection should be conducted regarding minibuses that hold permits but are not currently operating, the forums demanded.

“The installation of excessive lights on vehicles, which cause inconvenience to other motorists, must be prevented. Inspections should be conducted to take action on the government buses operating without proper maintenance. Inspections must be conducted to ensure that emergency spares, including spare tyres, are properly maintained in buses. Continuous check-up drives are also required to verify that autorickshaws operate according to regulations and charge the prescribed fares. Measures must be taken to prevent school buses from speeding and to monitor and penalise the practice of carrying students in excess of the permitted capacity,” the forum members further demanded.