Regional Transport authorities have urged the general public not to hire any private vehicles as taxis or enter into any commercial contract in this regard.
The move comes after the Regional Transport authorities said it received multiple complaints regarding the use of private vehicles as taxis by the general public as well as government offices.
The RTO Kashmir on March 24 issued a public notice, a copy of which lies with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), which asks the general public, all government departments, PSUs, banks, educational institutions and individuals neither to hire any private vehicles as a taxi nor enter into any commercial contract.
As per the notification, Section 66 of the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 provides that “no owner of a motor vehicle shall use or permit the use of the vehicle as a transport vehicle in any public place whether or not such vehicle is actually carrying any passengers or goods, save in accordance with the conditions of a permit granted or countersigned by a Regional or State Transport Authority or any prescribed authority authorizing him the use of the vehicle in that place in the manner in which the vehicle is being used”.
Section 53 of the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, inter alia, also provides for suspension of the Registration Certificate if there are reasons to believe that a vehicle has been, or is being, used for hire or reward without a valid permit, it adds.
Referring to the norms, the notification mentions that all the outsourced vehicles used by the government departments are required to be registered in the commercial category.
“Now, therefore, this is for notice of the general public, all government departments, PSUs, banks, educational institutions, and individuals not to hire any private vehicles as a taxi and not to enter into any commercial contract with any vehicle owner for a vehicle that does not have a commercial permit and that does not sync with the stated law and rules under the MVA, 1988,” the notification states.
RTO Kashmir through the public notice has also advised in particular the Drawing and Disbursing Officers not to hire any private vehicle which is not registered under the commercial category and has warned of strict action in case of violations—(KNO)