Mangalore, Jan 8: The region is all set to have a permanent test driving track in Devinagar and Vamanjur by February 10. They are estimated to cost Rs. 70 lakh. Regional Transport Officer D. Sadashiva made this announcement at the Regional Transport Authority's (RTA) "adalat" on Monday.

He said that the track, which would be used to test the skills of drivers for the purpose of issuing them licences, was being built on a two-acre plot.

These tracks will replace the stretch near Corporation Bank headquarters which is being used for the purpose.

The adalat was a steamy affair with violations of traffic rules by private bus operators and autorickshaw drivers dominating the meeting.

Hanumanta Kamat, president of Nagarika Hitarakshana Samiti furnished a list of buses which were allegedly plying in the city limits without permits and urged the authorities to take immediate action against them.

He said that the Deputy Commissioner had stalled the long-standing proposal to shift the service bus stop and that he was under pressure from bus operators' lobby. Many people said that were being harassed by autorickshaw drivers and bus operators.

Presspersons also highlighted individual experiences.

In his reply, Deputy Commissioner of Transport in Shimoga Division, Maruti Samranya, who presided over the programme, said the department would punish the guilty but that it was not getting enough complaints.

Hanumantha Kamat urged that the names and addresses of complainants should not be mentioned in the summons served on the guilty. "Otherwise, they will subject the complainants to further harassment," he said.

Taking cognisance of this point, Mr. Sadashiva announced that, in future, the summons would be served without the names and addresses of complainants.

S. Shekhar, president of Mangalore Mahanagara Auto Chalakara Sangha, complained that the number of aoutorickshaw stands had been reduced to 70 from 300. "The number of autos has increased but the number of stands has declined. It creates competition among drivers and deprives them of an honest living," he said and urged the authorities to create more stands.

Stating that the number of autorickshaws in Mangalore was about 5,000 compared to 75,000 in Bangalore, Mr. Maruthi Samrayana said: "The situation here is not all that bad but we will see what can be done."

Hindu