Goods vehicles carrying people will be seized: Karnataka StateTransport Department

Bengaluru: Goods vehicles carrying passengers or modified to ferry people will be seized by the transport and traffic police departments soon in the state.

A senior officer in the transport department said that recently, the High Court directed the department to ensure that no goods or luggage carrier vehicles are used to carry people. “We have also found that goods vehicles are being modified to carry people charging a certain fare. This has been on the rise and also become a business. It is against the rules as goods vehicles are manufactured to carry luggage and not people, and this poses a great danger to the people and their safety.”

He said, “We have also witnessed people travelling in goods carrier vehicles being killed in accidents. It was brought to our notice that different types of mini-goods vehicles are being converted and used to pick up and drop schoolchildren. These are going unchecked and it is time we seize such vehicles before any accidents occur.”

He said that a meeting will be held with the traffic police department to discuss about cracking down on the illegal practice.

A senior traffic police officer said, “Every day, we see people travelling in goods vehicle. For example, construction labourers are found travelling with the moulding machine inside a tempo traveller which is illegal. The vehicle can be used to carry the machine and not people. We have already penalised several such vehicles. Now we will start seizing these vehicles.”

The officer said, “We will carry out checks near all educational institutions from June to ensure that no converted goods vehicles are used to carry children. We will issue directions to educational institutions to ensure that parents do not encourage such a practice.”