Last week, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) commissioner issued advertisements stating that all vehicles should have reflectors fitted onto them. It also warned that those not following the directive, could be penalised under the Central Motor Vehicles Act 1989. Interestingly, this is just one of the many sections of the RTO law book. While the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 has 217 sections, the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 has another 164.

``Such directives are routine and have to be issued periodically before we take up checking of vehicles,'' RTO K M Patel told Express Newsline.

While he asserted that all sections of the rules had to be enforced, another official, asking anonymity, stated that if that was the case, fine would be collected from every vehicle owner, as each had some or the other problem.

While section 104 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules makes having reflectors compulsory, the next session deals with speedometers, followed by regulations regarding the brakes, lights, indicators. By admission of the authorities themselves, only a fraction of the total number of vehicles on the road may be plying as per all requirements of the Act.

Incidentlally, there are only seven department personnel who are empowered to take action against defaulters. One Regional Transport Officer (RTO), one assistant RTO and five RTO inspectors.

While nearly 50,000 vehicles are being added onto the district roads every single year, the last recruitment at the Surat RTO was made in 1982 and since then, the staff has decreased instead of increasing. ``We had four officials three years ago when the average growth of vehicles per year was by 35,000. Today, vehicles are increasing at 50,000 per year and only two officials are there to do work,'' says K M Patel.

While the RTO is finding checking licences, PUC certificates, irregularities in school autorickshaws difficult, checking minor details is out of question.

And in the absence of RTO raids, the traffic police have stepped in to do their work, inviting a spree allegations of corruption and bribes.