RTO officials use public transport on Environment Day, highlight gaps in services

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun

The senior officials and staff of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Dehradun used public transport to commute to work on the occasion of World Environment Day. They later submitted written feedback highlighting operational and service-related issues in the city’s public transportation system. The regional transport officer (Administration) Sandeep Saini informed that he travelled from IT Park to Darshanlal Chowk using Vikram vehicle UK 07 TA 9308. He observed that the vehicle was overloaded with four passengers seated on a three-passenger bench and lacked cleanliness. A female passenger also shared with him that drivers often do not return change if passengers do not have the exact fare. Saini said that from Darshanlal Chowk to Clock Tower, he walked and observed that a missing slab on a footpath forced pedestrians to walk on the road, posing a safety risk. From Clock Tower to the RTO office on Rajpur Road, the officer boarded mini bus vehicle UK 07 TD 3882. The driver was found speeding, speaking on the phone while driving and smoking. The vehicle had unauthorised seat modifications and the driver was not in uniform. However, a QR scanner for online payments was available in the vehicle and some passengers used it. Saini said that the vehicle was seized for violations and the driver’s license was suspended for three months. He informed that another official used an autorickshaw from Kulhan due to the lack of a direct public transport service from Sahastradhara Road to Rajpur Road via Canal Road. Several employees reported the unavailability of public transport on main routes after walking from their homes. An employee named Rekha reported that after walking to the main road from her home in Indrapur (Nawada), no public transport was available. She eventually hired an auto from Defence Colony for Rs 250, which she described as clean, with a polite driver. Another employee Brijmohan Rawat highlighted the absence of public transport in areas like Gujarowali, Balawala, Tunwala and Shamshergarh. He used bus UA 07 T 7151, which had poor maintenance and the conductor did not issue tickets, though both driver and conductor were polite. The employee Vinod Chamoli shared that Vikram and mini bus vehicles do not operate under the conditions set in their permits. Employees also reported that many routes like the one connecting Doon University to Mothrowala and Kedarpuram lacked public transport services. Employee Nikita shared that she used one Vikram and two tempos to reach the office. She complained about overcrowding and misbehaviour by the driver when she objected. The journey took 47 minutes. Other employees also reported using multiple vehicles and facing issues such as overloading, dirty interiors, rude drivers, and high fares. Some vehicles charged up to Rs 290 for the total trip. Most reports stated that Vikram and mini bus vehicles frequently exceeded seating capacity, especially affecting female passengers. Many passengers were unaware of bus timings, and no information was displayed inside vehicles about toll-free numbers or reserved seating. Saini said that based on these observations, the Transport department has planned immediate actions against these irregularities. The department will also review routes currently lacking public transport for new service deployment, Saini said.