Telangana RTA crackdown: 4,748 violations booked, 3,420 vehicles seized in 10 days

Hyderabad: Telangana’s Transport Department has intensified enforcement measures across the State, resulting in 4,748 cases booked and 3,420 vehicles seized in just ten days for violating transport and road safety rules.

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, reviewing the enforcement drive with senior officials, directed that inspections continue without interruption and cautioned authorities against any lapse in monitoring.

Surprise checks by district teams and flying squads

As part of the strengthened enforcement system, the State has deployed 33 district-level enforcement teams along with three State-level flying squads.

These teams conduct random checks daily, and inspection points are communicated to officials only at 6 a.m., ensuring high-level secrecy and eliminating advance alert to violators.

Officials have been instructed to continue the enforcement drives aggressively to ensure compliance among vehicle operators and transport agencies.

Stringent action against overloaded vehicles

Stating that overloaded vehicles contribute significantly to road accidents and fatalities, the Minister introduced a zero-tolerance policy towards overloading.

Under the revised guidelines overloaded vehicles will be immediately seized, if the same vehicle is caught a second time, its permit will be cancelled, and the driver’s licence will also be revoked in case of repeated violations.

The Transport Department will work closely with the Mining Department to prevent overloading at loading points rather than addressing violations only after vehicles enter highways.

Refresher training for heavy vehicle drivers

To improve driving discipline and safety awareness, the Minister directed officials to introduce mandatory refresher training sessions for heavy vehicle drivers at the time of licence renewal. He also instructed the enforcement teams to respond swiftly to complaints from citizens regarding violations.

Preparations begin for January Road Safety Month

With Road Safety Month scheduled in January, Minister Prabhakar asked the department to prepare a comprehensive action plan in advance. The programme will focus on mass awareness and community participation.

Key activities will include:

Awareness campaigns in schools and colleges.

Essay competitions and road safety workshops.

Street plays and village-level education programmes.

Joint initiatives with drivers, workers, police personnel, and transport staff.

The Minister emphasised that public participation will be crucial to reducing accidents and saving lives.

Staffing improvements and regular monitoring

To enhance operational efficiency, the Minister instructed officials to expedite recruitment for vacant positions and complete pending promotions in the Transport Department. He also ordered that enforcement progress be reviewed once every 10 days to assess impact and identify areas requiring further strengthening.

Special Chief Secretary Vikas Raj, TGSRTC Managing Director Nagireddy, Transport Commissioner Ilambarathi, and Joint Transport Commissioners Ramesh, Chandrashekar Goud, and Shivalingaiah participated in the review meeting.