Drivers of all VIP vehicles must undergo driving tests, says Ponnam

HYDERABAD: In a significant development in the light of accidental death of Cantonment MLA Lasya Nanditha, the Telangana Government has decided to conduct driving tests for drivers of ministers, MLAs, bureaucrats, and other VIPs.

The decision has been taken given recent accidents involving VIPs, wherein some accidents proved fatal. The death of Secunderabad Cantonment MLA Lasya Nanditha in a road accident on Outer Ring Road is the latest incident.

In an informal chat with media persons at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said that the Transport Department would conduct driving tests for all drivers operating VIP cars. He mentioned that letters would be sent to all VIPs seeking their cooperation.

The Minister clarified that only fit, experienced, and efficient drivers would be attached to VIP vehicles. Furthermore, he emphasised that only selected drivers should be hired for travelling to remote areas.

Additionally, he stated that the licensing rules would be made more stringent. In the future, driving licenses would only be issued to those who pass all tests. He argued that such regulations were necessary to curb rising accidents and fatalities.

Speaking about the caste census 'Kulaganna', Ponnam Prabhakar said that the State Government was sincere about it. He mentioned that it was planned to be implemented on the lines of Bihar. He explained that a team of 1 00,000 people would be formed to cover one crore houses across Telangana State. He also stated that an all-party meeting would be conducted soon to discuss the modalities of the caste survey.

He also said that the State Government contemplated setting up a commission to conduct the caste survey. Based on the outcome, reservations in all sectors could be implemented properly.

Speaking on other issues, Ponnam Prabhakar said that the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) had accumulated debts of over Rs 6,000 crore due to mismanagement by the previous regime. However, he said that despite financial constraints, the Congress Government was implementing the Mahalakshmi scheme to provide free travel to women in RTC buses. The free scheme had increased the State's revenues in other areas. Citing an instance, he stated that the number of women visitors to temples across Telangana had increased after introducing free travel in RTC buses, boosting the government's revenues. He mentioned that nearly 50 lakh people were travelling daily through the RTC buses after the introduction of the Mahalakshmi scheme.

He hoped that with the collective efforts of drivers, conductors, and other staff, the RTC would soon become a profitable organisation. He pointed out that the RTC was improving its services in all areas through its 90 depots. However, he noted that the functioning of the RTC cargo was not satisfactory. As against the target of Rs 2,000 crore, only Rs 150 crore had been achieved so far.

Ponnam Prabhakar said that the RTC had recently purchased new buses. He also praised the role played by RTC in transporting lakhs of devotees to the Medaram Jatra.

In response to concerns about the impact of providing free travel to women in the state on auto drivers, Poonam Prabhakar presented data suggesting that the acquisition of new autos has not experienced a significant decline. In October 2023, 453 new autos were registered in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) region, with an additional 3,030 purchased in non-GHMC areas. Similarly, in January 2024, 233 new autorickshaws were registered in the GHMC area, and 1,836 were recorded in non-GHMC regions. He challenged the narrative, suggesting that free RTC bus services negatively impacted auto drivers, emphasising the consistent growth in new auto acquisitions.