RTO yet to act against 10,000 illegal 'jugaad' vehicles plying on Agra roads

AGRA: Following lack of proper monitoring by the regional transport department and the traffic police, at least 10,000 unauthorized “‘jugaad” vehicles are plying on city roads. Jugaad vehicles are basically modified old two-wheelers, tempos or rickshaws fitted with motor engine. These are extensively used for ferrying goods. Besides being a threat to road safety, the jugaad vehicles are causing pollution in the eco-sensitive

Taj Trapezium Zone

(TTZ).


The fact that these vehicles continue to ply unhindered on city roads is a cause of concern as the regional transport officials of Agra had cancelled the registration of all the two, three and four wheelers purchased till 1989 on August 30, 2019. These included over 5,000 scooters, loading tempos and vans. However, many were modified as jugaad vehicles but so far, none has been seized by the regional transport department.

Regional transport officer (administration) Ashok Kumar Singh said, “The purpose behind cancelling the registration of old vehicles was to ensure that they do not operate. It is illegal to modify old vehicles and use them for loading purposes. We will get these vehicles dismantled.”

Superintendent of police (traffic) Prashant Kumar Prasad said, “Soon a campaign will be launched to take action against the unauthorized jugaad vehicles. All these vehicles will be seized. Besides, penalties will be imposed on owners for running these vehicles.”

The jugaad is a low cost means of transportation. Therefore, a large number of old scooters-turned-jugaad vehicles are being used for ferrying iron girders, construction material and grocery items. Besides, the diesel-operated jugaad auto-rickshaws are widely used for delivering RO water bottles to households. Vegetable and grocery wholesalers also use these unauthorized vehicles for ferrying goods.

According to sources, an old scooter can be turned into a jugaad by spending as little as Rs 10,000. A jugaad auto-rickshaw can be developed for Rs 20,000. With minimum requirement of maintenance, jugaad vehicles easily operate for three to five years.

While the judaad vehicles may be cost effective for users, they are not roadworthy. They cause accidents and are known to have poor brake systems. As they move at a slow pace, traffic is held up, resulting in jams on busy roads. In January 2015, a biker had lost his life after his motorcycle had collided with a jugaad rickshaw carrying iron rods near St John’s crossing. While the iron rods had pierced the driver, killing him on the spot, pillion rider succumbed to injuries in hospital.

The jugaad vehicles operate on city roads without a registration certificate. In case of an accident, the victim is not eligible for compensation from insurance companies.


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