KMT to urge RTA to crackdown on illegal transport

Kolhapur: Reeling under heavy revenue losses, the Kolhapur Municipal

Transport

(

KMT

) will urge the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) to act against the city’s illegal transport.

The meeting of the KMT committee took place on Friday and was the first since the bus accident that led to the death of three on October 1. At the general body meeting held recently, the KMT officials vowed to improve the city’s transport services over the next two months.

The meeting was attended by civic chief Abhijeet Chaudhari to ensure that effective decisions are taken to do away with hurdles before the KMT. The decision to set up a training centre for drivers was also taken at the meeting. It was also decided that every KMT worker will have to undergo a fitness test.

Sanjay Bhosale, KMT’s additional manager, said, “The KMT is facing a loss of Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 lakh each day due to illegal transport. This contributes to around 40% of total daily losses incurred by the transport undertaking. We had approached the regional transport office (RTO) to take action, but we were told they do not have adequate vehicles and manpower to do so. We have now decided to meet the RTA, which is decision making body for managing transport in the state, and urge them to deploy teams to take action against illegal autorickshaws and jeeps. The KMT is ready to provide vehicles required to carry out action daily.”

The committee members said that even after induction of new buses in the fleet, losses have not reduced. The committee has decided to increase the passenger count along routes that yield just Rs 22 per kilometre.

The KMT will also increase the per-kilometre earning up to Rs 38 to ensure that losses are reduced. “To ensure there are no breakdowns and accidents, we will deploy expert trainers to teach the drivers for which a separate unit will be set up soon. The committee also approved the move to conduct medical and mental fitness tests of all the KMT employees regularly,” Bhosale said.