Udupi police conduct surprise inspection at night in Manipal; seize 21 vehicles
Udupi: Surprise vehicle inspections were held by the Udupi subdivision police on Saturday at five locations under the Manipal Police Station limits, with the police confiscating 21 vehicles and registering cases against drivers violating rules.
The late-night drive was held as a part of an initiative to find cases of violations of traffic rules and the Motor Vehicles Act, according to a report by Deccan Herald.
Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar said that 18 cars and 3 two-wheelers were seized. Cases of drunk driving were also found during the drive.
The police have registered cases under the Motor Vehicles Act against riders found to be under the influence of alcohol. Spot fines of Rs 10,000 each were collected from 10 vehicle owners found violating rules by reckless driving, ignoring traffic signals and triple riding.
It may be noted that a minimum fine of Rs 10,000 may be collected in cases of drunk driving where the vehicle users are convicted in court.
The operation, held under directions of the SP, was led by the Udupi Deputy SP and Manipal Inspector, with the team including constables of the Udupi Town Police, Udupi Traffic Police, Malpe Police, and Manipal Police stations.
The SP has said that similar enforcement operations will be held in future, to find more cases of drunk driving, speeding and negligent driving in the district.
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Private bus operators in Karnataka to hike fares by 20-30 pc after fuel price rise
Bengaluru (PTI): In the wake of the hike in fuel prices, private bus operators have decided to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, effective from Friday midnight.
They have also called for government subsidies, a reduction in cess, and lower road taxes to improve the situation.
"The situation for bus owners in the state is already distressing due to high road tax and the impact of the Shakti scheme (free bus travel for women in government buses). On top of this, fuel prices have increased," Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Association President S Nataraj Sharma said.
"This will impose a burden of Rs 15,000 per vehicle per month on bus owners. If an owner has three buses, the burden will be Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 per month," he added.
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Speaking to reporters, he said the situation has made it inevitable for owners to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, under current conditions.
The increase may be roughly Rs 200 per seat, he added.
"For example, the current bus fare from Bengaluru to Belagavi is around Rs 1,000–Rs 1,200, which is likely to rise to Rs 1,350–Rs 1,400. Similarly, fares from Bengaluru to Mangaluru or Udupi currently range from Rs 900–Rs 1,000 and are expected to go up to Rs 1,100–Rs 1,200," he said.
Petrol and diesel prices were each hiked by Rs 3 per litre on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses for fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
The increase comes a couple of weeks after the Assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
