Amidst the concerns and confusion surrounding the move to ban carpooling in Bengaluru, the Karnataka State Government has issued a new clarification. In a statement to the media, the Bengaluru transport department clarified that carpooling is banned only for privately owned vehicles that are plying on the roads with white registration number plates.
The department also added that carpooling is still allowed, but only for vehicles with yellow registration number plates, which are legally registered as commercial vehicles. This means that if someone wishes to continue carpooling, they have to register the vehicle as a commercial vehicle with the Road Transport Office (RTO) of Bengaluru, as stated by the Bengaluru transport department.
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The statement was also confirmed by Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who added that the department has no issues with carpooling but has concerns only with those who are doing it in privately-owned vehicles with white number plates, as it is against the law. He stated that the department hasn’t banned carpooling, nor has it imposed any fines for it in all the cases reported to date. He also mentioned that he will be conducting a meeting with taxi driver associations and transport unions for further discussions.
A few days ago, the Bengaluru transport department imposed a ban on carpooling using privately-owned vehicles in Bengaluru, which is already suffering from serious concerns about traffic congestion. The ban was imposed by the Karnataka government following the agitation and demands raised by taxi driver associations in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru Traffic Woes
Bengaluru is already grappling with serious concerns regarding traffic management and congestion, with many of the city’s prominent roads continuously clogged with a dense flow of vehicles. It has resulted in some unacceptable scenarios that can be addressed by various measures, such as a reduction in the number of vehicles on the road.
Among all the options for reducing traffic movement, carpooling seems to be a viable solution, as it eventually reduces the number of vehicles on the road if all the occupants of a vehicle choose to carpool. However, there are times when carpooling is associated with actions that involve breaking traffic and transport laws.
While it is appreciated that the Karnataka government hasn’t banned carpooling altogether, the management and rules around carpooling should be more streamlined for easier vehicle operation.
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