M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Jan 2: Surprise check for enforcement of the covid appropriate behavior in the buses has started in Latehar. District transport officer Santosh Singh checked four buses on Saturday and found the crew of the buses were unconcerned about the covid-19 protocol. The buses are checked right on NH 75.
“The crew of the buses had no mask. The hand sanitizer was not around. Their whole look and attitude was of callous indifference to the covid-19 threat,” said Santosh Singh.
Invoking section 179 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 the Latehar district transport officer imposed fine on these buses and the crew of the four buses coughed up 6,000 rupees as penalty for disobedience of the executive order.
Section 179 of the Motor Vehicles Act reads that whosoever willfully disobeys the orders lawfully given is liable to be pay a sum of rupees 500 as fine.
“The four buses had willfully disobeyed and flouted the lawful order which mandates mask wearing, hand sanitization and not to overload the buses with passengers beyond its sitting capacity,” informed Santosh Singh.
Asked that @ 500 rupees fine for defiance the four buses ought to have been collectively fined only 2,000 rupees but here the penalty amount recovered from the four buses is 6,000 rupees to which Santosh Singh said the four buses had flouted the covid norms in various ways and magnitude and so the fine is 6,000 rupees.
He said he has asked the bus crew and operators to adhere to covid-19 protocol and force passengers to wear masks and disallow any such passenger to take his seat in the bus who shows reluctance to wearing a mask.
A note from the information and public relation office Latehar said five personnel of the confidential section of the DC, collectorate and Sports Complex have tested covid positive , ringing uneasy bells for others.
