Beware! These vehicles are highly inflammable

KOCHI: Vehicles transporting gas cylinders in the city are violating safety norms and this could prove to be a major public threat say motor vehicles department (MVD) officials. MVD has booked seven vehicles during the past six months for hazardously carrying cooking gas cylinders.
In a recent enforcement drive, department officials seized a vehicle that was carrying gas cylinders flouting safety norms.Assistant motor vehicle inspector Deepu NK said the vehicle had a rusted platform and defective exhaust pipe that emitted sparks while transporting about 68 gas cylinders. This could have resulted in a major explosion, he added.
A senior MVD official confirmed that many vehicles supplying gas cylinders in city outskirts are also flouting safety norms. "The motor vehicles act clearly says that vehicles manufactured after 2006 that are used to transport gas cylinders and other hazardous substances should be equipped with anti-lock braking system (ABS). But many of these vehicles don't have ABS and have rusted platforms," he said.
The motor vehicle inspector said such vehicles are more vulnerable to accidents and service providers must realize the gravity of this issue. "It is mandatory that permit and fitness certificates of vehicles carrying hazardous or dangerous substances should be renewed annually. But many vehicles, especially those in remote areas, don't renew their permit and fitness certificate," an official said.
Ernakulam regional transport officer (RTO) TJ Thomas said that though the department is conducting raids to ensure safety norms, they are helpless in remote areas of the city. "There are so many vehicles in remote areas and we are not able to track them because of staff shortage," he said.