Mysore/Mysuru: The office-bearers of Mysuru Travels Association (MTA) have submitted a memorandum to Devika, Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Mysore West, taking exception to the action of Transport Department officials to utilise the services of tourist vehicles for election duty by force.

In a memorandum submitted to RTO, Hon. President of MTA B.S. Prashanth and Immediate Past President C.A. Jayakumar stated that “For the past few days, Transport Department officials have been stopping tourist vehicles in the middle of the road taking them into their possession for election related duty. If the vehicles are required for poll duty, the RTO should submit official request to MTA and we shall honour the request by allotting vehicles, committing to be with the Department always. But we condemn any move to take the vehicles by force.”

Moreover, the bill towards the vehicles deployed for election-related duties last year is still pending to be cleared. The Department of Transport should have a look into this and refrain from taking tourist vehicles into their possession.

Vice-President of MTA David Raj, Secretary A.C. Ravi, PRO S.J. Ashok and Executive Committee Member Shashidhar; President of Drivers Association Nagaraj, Vice-President Prabhakar and others were in the MTA delegation to meet the RTO.