Stringent action will be taken against rash and negligent driving: Sub-Inspector Rajendra

Gundlupet: In a bid to prevent fatal accidents due to rash movement of tipper vehicles in the town, Gundlupet Police have begun cracking down of speeding tipper vehicles and penalising them.

Mining activities have increased in Gundlupet surroundings and in Begur limits as mining activity in Srirangapatna surroundings of Mandya district has come to a standstill. This has resulted in the increase of movement of tipper vehicles on the  National Highway.

Due to demand for white stones, mining for these stones has intensified in Gummakallugudda near Gundlupet, Belachalawadi, Arepura, Hirikati, Tondawadi, Chikkati and other places. As the mining takes place day and night, the movement of tipper vehicles carrying these stones to crushers have also increased.

These tippers are not only over-loaded but also move on the National Highway in a rash and negligent manner resulting in frequent accidents which has caused a sense of fear among other motorists.

Despite increased movement of tippers, the officials of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) have turned a blind eye towards it, residents alleged and added that tippers with a loading capacity of 15 tonnes were carrying 38 to 40 tonnes of stones.

The height of the tippers’ container body has been increased by a feet without taking permission from the RTO and have been transporting excess stones besides the drivers of these tipper vehicles are seen constantly speaking over mobile phones while driving these heavy vehicles, which was resulting in frequent accidents, the residents said.

Recently, a KRSTC bus proceeding towards Mysuru was hit by a speeding tipper vehicle resulting in five passengers sustaining serious injuries. The following day, another tipper rammed into a man identified as Srinivasa Shetty of Hongalli village in front of KSRTC Bus Stand leaving him seriously injured. He has been admitted to a hospital in Mysuru.

Following frequent accidents, the public had expressed anger against the RTO officials and the Police; the video had also gone viral on social media.

Now, the Police, led by Gundlupet Town Sub-Inspector Rajendera, who have begun their operation to crackdown speeding tipper vehicles, are conducting checking of documents of all tipper vehicles and have also begun penalising overspeeding tippers with the help of Interceptor vehicles.

Sub-Inspector Rajendra said that if any driver is found driving tippers in a rash and negligent manner, stringent action will be taken against the driver.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Shivashankarappa, Head Constable Mahesh, Ravi and others took part in the checking drive.