Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, Nov 25: The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta today reiterated that the Administration is fully committed to safeguarding the interests of Ladakh’s transport community while ensuring compliance with national road safety standards.
Gupta was interacting with a delegation from the Ladakh Taxi Operator Co-operative Ltd, Leh and Taxi Operators and Owners Co-operative Union Ltd, Kargil.
The Member of Parliament from Ladakh, Mohmad Haneefa Jan was also present during the meeting.
The delegation presented concerns regarding the mandatory installation of Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTD) as directed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), as well as the renewal of registrations for vehicles older than 15 years.
The Member of Parliament apprised the LG of hardships faced by taxi operators due to the cost of VLTDs and requested the inclusion of additional vendors offering reasonably priced devices to ensure affordability.
The delegation also sought an extension for the renewal of registration for older vehicles, especially heavy vehicles like trucks and tippers.
They raised additional issues including the need for state permits for all commercial vehicles in Ladakh, seamless movement of commercial vehicles from Ladakh to Jammu & Kashmir through reciprocal countersigning of permits, revision of fares for buses and taxis and the enforcement of mandatory vehicle ownership transfers as per the Motor Vehicles Act.
Giving a patient hearing, Gupta said that the Administration is fully committed to safeguarding the interests of Ladakh’s transport community while ensuring compliance with national road safety standards.
He assured the delegation that all their concerns would be examined with seriousness and sensitivity.
Regarding the VLTD installation, Gupta clarified that VLTD installation is a mandatory regulatory and safety measure under MoRTH guidelines and instructed all transport operators to ensure full compliance.
He also asked officials to study the proposal for extending the deadline for renewal of older vehicle registrations, keeping in view Ladakh’s unique geographical and economic challenges.
The LG further stated that issues related to permits, fare revision and vehicle ownership transfers would be addressed in a time-bound manner after due consultation with all stakeholders.
He reaffirmed the Administration’s resolve to create a transparent, efficient and operator-friendly transport ecosystem in the Union Territory and also advised the taxi unions from Leh and Kargil to reach consensus on interstate routes.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner/Secretary Dr L Franklin, RTO Ladakh Dr Zahida Bano, Additional Secretary for the Transport Department, Mohammad Usman Khan and members of the taxi unions from Leh and Kargil districts.
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