The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Lorries put under the scanner

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 05, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Lorries put under the scanner

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, SEPT. 4. The Transport Department has commenced a drive against violation of motor vehicle rules by lorries in general and those transporting construction materials in particular.

The Deputy Transport Commissioner, K. Yogarajan, launched the drive in Coimbatore, Erode and the Nilgiris that come under the jurisdiction of Coimbatore Region. During the two-hour drive conducted during the school and office hours i.e., 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., as many as 767 lorries were checked for violation of Motor Vehicle rules.

The vehicles were checked for air and noise pollution, driving without fitness certificate, valid licence, overloading and use of banned horns.

In the city, the check was conducted at Ukkadam and Thadagam Road, which was known for rampant violation of rules by a large number of lorries transporting bricks that operated from Thadagam, Anaikatti and Kanuvai.

These lorries gave motorists a nightmarish experience especially for office and school goers from TVS Nagar, Idyarpalayam, Poompuhar Nagar, Anbu Nagar and nearby residential areas.

Complaints galore

A large number of complaints about these lorries had forced the Regional Transport Office to focus the drive against them, officials pointed out. There were complaints about speeding, vehicles without fitness being used for transporting bricks, driving by cleaners without valid licence. Any specific complaints could be addressed to the DTCs office on Dr. Balasundaram Road, Mr. Yogarajan added.

Air pollution

The drive against air and noise pollution was conducted with the help of engineers from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board both at Coimbatore and Tirupur, who assisted the teams with equipment for gauging the pollution and decibel levels.

Nine cases of driving by cleaners without valid licence were detected and the vehicles were booked. Six lorries laden with sand were booked for not using tarpaulins to cover the loads. "The sand fly caused by winds often proved to be dangerous for the vehicles that are behind these lorries," Mr. Yogarajan added.

Even lorries transporting bricks should cover the loads to prevent dust particles from flying, he suggested. A tractor that was ferrying sand for brick kilns was found plying without registration and fitness certificate. The driver had no valid licence and the tractor was impounded, the RTO staff said.

As many as 43 blaring air horns and four musical horns were removed during the drive. Two vehicles that were found using domestic LPG cylinders as fuel were confiscated.

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