Mysore/Mysuru: “Accidents can be prevented only if the vehicles are well-maintained and fit to ply on roads,” opined Transport Minister Laxman Savadi.

He was speaking after inaugurating the new Automated Vehicle Inspection and Certification Centre at RTO (East) premises in Rajivnagar 3rd Stage, Devanur Layout, opposite Narayana Hospital on the Outer Ring Road here yesterday afternoon.

Continuing, the Minister said that steering, brakes, headlights and other parts of the vehicles should be well-maintained, which would also help prevent accidents. “When a man falls sick, he is treated for that particular illness and in the same way, there is a need for goods and passenger vehicles to be checked and faults be rectified. Earlier, Brake Inspectors of the Transport Department used to inspect vehicles and then submit a report on the condition of vehicles. Now, using the latest technology, vehicles will be inspected for its road worthiness scientifically for which the new Automated Vehicle Inspection Centre has been established in Mysuru,” said the Minister.

Pointing out that a computerised inspection centre has already been opened in Bengaluru and the second one has been inaugurated in Mysuru, Minister Savadi said that the third such inspection centre would be inaugurated at Dharwad soon and added that Automated Vehicle Inspection and Certification Centres would be established at every district headquarters in the coming days.

District Minister S.T. Somashekar, who was the chief guest, said that Laxman Savadi, during COVID pandemic, had successfully handled the problems in the Transport Department and had provided Oxygen Concentrators fitted KSRTC buses to Mysuru to help treat COVID-infected patients.

MLA Tanveer Sait, who presided over the event, said that vehicle owners were facing problems as the Government is planning to ban old vehicles. Instead of banning old two-stroke engine vehicles, provisions should be made to install four-stroke engines to the same vehicles, he added.

Tanveer Sait urged the Transport Minister to deploy two drivers for long route KSRTC buses and bring in reforms for taxes that are being paid once in three months. He also urged the Minister to hold discussions and decide on the shifting of Mysuru City Bus Stand.

Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Chairman H.V. Rajeev, Compost Development Corporation Chairman S. Mahadevaiah, Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) Chairman A. Hemanth Kumar Gowda, MyLAC Chairman N.V. Phaneesh, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr. Bagadi Gautham, City Police Commissioner Dr. Chandragupta, Superintendent of Police (SP) R. Chethan, Joint Transport Commissioner of Mysuru Division Dr. C.T. Murthy, Regional Transport Officer (East) L. Deepak and others were present during the occasion.