Udupi: Udupi Deputy Commissioner T.K. Swaroopa has directed Transport Department officials to ensure that all heavy goods vehicles registered and operating in the district are fitted with speed governors within a month.
Chairing the District Road Safety Committee meeting at Rajatadri, the district office complex in Manipal, on Wednesday, Swaroopa said strict measures should be taken to improve road safety and regulate heavy vehicles.
1,952 of 3,785 heavy vehicles fitted
Swaroopa noted that the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) had been instructed at the previous meeting to ensure speed governors were installed in 3,785 heavy goods vehicles having six or more wheels.
However, only around 1,952 vehicles have so far been fitted with speed governors.
Directing the RTO to strictly enforce the requirement, she set a deadline of one month for completing the installation in the remaining vehicles.
The measure is aimed at improving road safety by ensuring that heavy goods vehicles adhere to prescribed speed limits while operating on roads across the district.
Action against overloaded vehicles
The Deputy Commissioner also expressed concern over the overloading of ready-mix concrete vehicles and sand transport vehicles.
She said overloaded ready-mix concrete vehicles were causing concrete to spill onto roads and damaging road surfaces.
Overloaded sand transport vehicles were also inconveniencing the public and contributing to accidents, she noted.
During the last three months, officials inspected 1,569 vehicles in connection with such violations. A total of 15 cases were registered and fines amounting to Rs 3.33 lakh were collected.
Swaroopa directed officials to continue strict enforcement against overloading and take appropriate action in the coming days.
Roadside stalls to be shifted to vending zones
The Deputy Commissioner also directed authorities to address unauthorised roadside stalls, fast-food centres, pushcarts and other temporary stalls operating in Udupi city.
She instructed that such establishments be shifted to the six vending zones already identified by the City Municipal Council (CMC).
CMC officials were directed to take steps for the early construction of shelters at the designated vending zones so that vendors can be accommodated in an organised manner.
Traffic signals at major junctions
Swaroopa also reviewed traffic management measures in Udupi city and other important locations in the district.
Of the five major junctions in Udupi city, traffic signals have already been installed at Kalsanka Junction and Manipal Syndicate.
She directed officials to install signals at the remaining major junctions in Udupi at the earliest.
She also instructed officials to expedite the installation of traffic signals at major junctions in Padubidri, Kota, Brahmavara and Kundapura.
Bus doors and passenger safety
The Deputy Commissioner also reviewed an earlier direction concerning doors on private and government buses operating in the district.
Although the issue had been raised at the previous meeting, the verification had not been completed fully.
Swaroopa instructed RTO officials to submit information within two months on whether all buses operating in the district are fitted with doors.
She also raised the issue of passengers throwing empty water bottles from moving buses, creating inconvenience and littering roads.
Instructions had earlier been issued to install dustbins in buses to promote cleanliness, but the measure had not been implemented adequately.
Swaroopa directed the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the RTO to ensure that dustbins are provided in all buses at the earliest and submit a compliance report.
Road median openings to be reviewed
The Deputy Commissioner also directed officials to close road dividers that had been left open during National Highway works.
She noted that some median openings had been created to facilitate construction activities but had remained open even after the works were completed.
Swaroopa instructed authorities to close such openings where they were no longer required.
At the same time, she said requests for new median openings should not be considered without a proper assessment.
Police and the concerned engineering officials should jointly inspect the location whenever people request a median opening and provide one only if it is found necessary, she said.
The directions were issued as part of efforts to strengthen traffic management, improve road safety and address public concerns relating to transport and road infrastructure in Udupi district.