APSRTC, periodic inspection of vehicles belonging to government departments and individuals will help in scrapping the vehicles which fail to meet the standards
APSRTC, periodic inspection of vehicles belonging to government departments and individuals will help in scrapping the vehicles which fail to meet the standards
The laws state that commercial vehicles older than 15 years and passenger vehicles over 20 years old need to be compulsorily canceled if they do not pass fitness and emissions tests. Government departments need to discontinue their vehicles after 15 years.
However, old and unsuitable vehicles continue to ply on the roads in Prakasam district, threatening the lives of people.
The Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), which has a large fleet of buses, continues to ply the old vehicles. Sources in the APSRTC employees union say that even though the laws state that buses covering a distance of 12.5 lakh km should be withdrawn, they are still plying due to various reasons.
Many buses, especially the ‘Palle Velugu’ services, are running beyond their stipulated life expectancy. According to an estimate, more than 1,000 buses need to be replaced in Prakasam district.
Despite periodic inspections by the Road Transport Authority (RTA), private bus operators, in their effort to bring down the operating cost, repair and manage old vehicles.
“There is a need for uniform scouring policy to curb pollution as different states have different rules”G Narasimha RaoPaura Samajam President
“The switchover to non-polluting electric vehicles has a long way to go. Even the APSRTC lacks the necessary support from the government for this purpose,” said CITU-led employees and labor union leader R.K. Ayyappa says.
State President of Confederation of Andhra Pradesh Consumers Organization M Nageswara Rao said that vehicles belonging to government departments need to be periodically checked and old vehicles should be dismantled.
A visit to Prakasam Bhawan, the seat of the district administration, offers a view of unused vehicles and dust collecting. Unholy acts are being done by targeting such vehicles for spare parts by anti-social elements.
“Andhra Pradesh government should take inspiration from Delhi government and allow private vehicles with odd and even registration numbers to ply in cities on alternate days to reduce pollution levels. An electronic system should be set up to detect violation of rules on highways,” Mr Rao suggests, adding that the number of private vehicles on the roads should be replaced with non-polluting buses.
In addition, old and unsuitable vehicles are at a higher risk of being involved in accidents. Ongole Municipal Development Committee chairman M. Subba Rao says official apathy towards the implementation of mandatory guidelines related to road safety set by the Indian Roads Congress is to blame for the situation.
President of the civil society organization, Paura Samajam, G. Narasimha Rao says, “There is a need for a uniform nationwide scouring policy to prevent environmental pollution before the situation is out of the way as different states have different rules.”