A day after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) made it compulsory for garbage trucks in its fleet to have fitness certificates, the traffic police on Wednesday seized nine vehicles for failing to provide the same. Another 307 garbage trucks were booked for traffic violations on the day.
The drive has been taken up after three BBMP garbage trucks were involved in fatal accidents in one month alone claiming the lives of a Class IX student last month, a farmer and a 40-year-old bank employee. “We are cracking the whip on BBMP garbage truck drivers, and have launched a special drive to check fitness certificates. We also keep tabs on drivers, especially those who drive rashly and negligently and violate speed limits,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda.
He added that the drive was launched after a meeting with BBMP officials. “There is a huge outcry among members of the general public not just over garbage trucks being driven rashly but also over other infrastructure problems such as bad roads, water logging on roads when it rains, and potholes,” said a traffic police officer. During the meeting with civic officials, the Bengaluru Traffic Police suggested that garbage trucks be fitted with speed governors to ensure that drivers adhere to the speed limit.
Incidentally, BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta on Tuesday announced some measures the civic body had introduced to tackle the menace. Apart from making fitness certificates mandatory, marshals have been deployed to inspect vehicles at mustering points every day.
