Telangana shuts down all transport check posts to curb corruption, ease traffic

Hyderabad: Telangana Minister for Transport Ponnam Prabhakar announced on Wednesday that all transport check posts across the state have been officially closed from Wednesday.

The move, part of a series of transport reforms, aims to improve efficiency, ensure transparency, ease vehicular movement, and enhance road safety for the state’s 1.7 crore vehicles.

Immediate closure of check posts

Transport Commissioner K Surendra Mohan issued instructions to halt operations at all check posts immediately. Officials and staff are being redeployed to District Transport Offices (DTOs), while vehicles can now move freely at former check post locations.

The government has directed DTOs to dismantle all boards, barricades, and structures and transfer furniture, equipment and records to DTO offices. A detailed report on the completion of the closure process must be submitted to the Director’s office by 5 pm today.

Promoting electric and eco-friendly transport

Speaking to reporters at the Khairatabad Regional Transport Office (RTO), Prabhakar stated that since the launch of Telangana’s Electric Vehicle (EV) policy, the state has waived taxes worth Rs 577 crore, and the share of EVs in vehicle sales has risen from 0.03 per cent to 1.13 per cent.

The government has authorised 20,000 electric autos, 10,000 LPG/CNG autos and 25,000 retrofitted autos. These steps are designed to reduce pollution, promote cleaner transport, and provide alternatives to conventional fuel vehicles in urban areas.

Road safety and public awareness initiatives

The Transport Department has launched a series of programs to improve road safety:

- Awareness drives and campaigns on responsible driving.

- Establishment of Road Safety Children Parks (inaugurated in Nacharam and Karimnagar).

- Road Safety Clubs in schools and colleges.

- Driving skill improvement programs and the introduction of an automatic driving license system.

Technological upgrades for efficiency and transparency

The minister further said that AI-based monitoring is being implemented at transport offices to track visitor activity and alert headquarters in case of irregularities.

Vehicle tracking systems are in place, high-security plates will be issued to tourism vehicles, and compliance with central government radium sticker norms is enforced.

Cameras have been installed at 63 transport centres for continuous surveillance, and strict measures are being taken to curb illegal overloading and broker practices, he added.

Scrapping policy and vehicle reforms

Prabhakar also said that Telangana has introduced a vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and unsafe vehicles. The state has joined the Vahan Sarathi system, enabling online payments and better data management. These reforms will streamline transport operations, improve compliance, and enhance revenue collection.

Revenue and departmental strengthening

The Transport Department has strengthened its workforce by appointing and training 112 Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspectors (AMVIs) and four Group-1 RTO officers. A new Telangana-themed department logo has been introduced, and transparency measures are being strictly enforced to curb corruption and ensure efficient service delivery.

Commitment to modern, safe transport

Minister Prabhakar emphasised that the check post closure is just the first step in modernising Telangana’s transport infrastructure.