Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh): Amid an increasing number of road accidents causing number of deaths, plying of overloaded vehicles is on a high in rural areas of Ratlam district. On Tuesday, during checking in Namli and Sailana areas, the police and transport department team seized three vehicles for carrying excess passengers.
Officials involved in the drive informed that these days the work of harvesting soybean is going on in the region. Labourers are moving from one place to another for harvesting crops on a large scale. Due to shortage of vehicles and costly fares, labourers are being transported in vehicles and tractor-trolleys in large numbers.
Taking advantage of the situation, vehicle owners plying in rural areas operate their vehicles with seven to eight times more passengers than the permissible limit.
Officials claimed that only four days ago, a woman died after falling from an auto near Dhamnod of Sailana police station area, but operators and villagers ignore danger to their lives.
Licences of three drivers suspended
In a joint checking drive conducted by the transport department and the traffic police in Sailana area on Namli-Panched Road, officials suspended the licence of three drivers for plying overloaded vehicles. The officials claimed that they intercepted one auto-rickshaw loaded with 28 people, 25 more than its permissible capacity.
When the team stopped the auto, the passengers jumped and started running here and there. The auto was seized by letting the passengers go in other vehicles. On the other hand, 25 people were found riding in a pickup van on Panched Road. The vehicle was seized and parked at Namli police station. Licences of three drivers have been suspended for plying overloaded vehicles.
