Govt calls for re-check of contract bus permits

The Transport department has asked the for re-verification of contract carriage bus permit holders, in a bid to improve the security in public transport vehicles. The request, which comes after a 23-year-old woman was gangraped in a contract carriage bus on December 16, has been sent to the Delhi Police.

Till now, police verification of drivers and conductors of public service vehicles was carried out at the time of issuing of public service vehicle (PSV) badges.

The State Transport Authority, which hands out permits for public service vehicles, sent out the request. It has also sent a list of over 16,000 permit holders to Delhi Police, officials said. This list does not include DTC buses.

"In the wake of the gangrape incident, a need was felt to take all possible measures to secure public transport. We have now decided to carry out police verification of permit holders of contract carriage buses. This matter has already been discussed with police and a list of over 16,000 permit holders was sent a fortnight ago,'' a Transport official said. New permit holders of such vehicles will also have to undergo re-verification.

After the December 16 incident, it was found that the owner of the vehicle, Dinesh Yadav, had submitted false address proof. Thereafter, Ministry of Home Affairs had asked for verification of all permit holders.

Police said they were processing information received from the Transport department to see if it is sufficient. "We have received information, but we need to see if the information is sufficient to carry out verification. Also, the issue of money needs to be sorted out. A fee is levied for verification,'' a senior police officer said.

"Verification will also be done for new public service vehicles such as auto-rickshaws, gramin sewa vehicles and taxis,'' an official said.

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