The Mysore District Tourist Vehicle Drivers’ and Owners’ Welfare Association on Monday staged a demonstration outside the RTO office here, opposing the State government’s directive to install a vehicle location tracking (VLT) device and an emergency panic button in all public transport vehicles and those operating under a national permit.
Tourist vehicles have also been directed to comply with the directive before the September 10 deadline.
In a memorandum to the RTO (West), Mysuru, the association claimed the Transport Department was not considering issuing fitness certificates until the devices were installed. They described the move as “unscientific”, and urged the department to withdraw the decision.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Taxi Drivers’ Association, Mysuru, also staged a demonstration urging the State government to bear the cost of installing the devices in their vehicles.
They also demanded a 30% cut in road tax on tourist vehicles, and demanded strict action against those ferrying tourists in vehicles with “white board” registration.
They claimed that the government was losing revenues of ₹1,200 crore to ₹1,400 crore by allowing the operation of NL, AR, DD, OD, PY, and GA registered vehicles. “Vehicles after being registered in other States were operating in Karnataka. Such vehicles need to be seized. Otherwise over 250 buses will be parked outside the RTO office with documents and the keys handed over to the authorities as a protest,” the association said in a statement.
It also urged the government to allow installation of VLT device of their choice from the market that costs around ₹2,500.
Pratap Simha, former MP, visited the protest site. A memorandum was later handed over to the RTO, West.
