Mangaluru : The Transport Department, which was keeping quiet despite contract carriage buses plying right in front of the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Mangaluru, violating permit conditions, on Tuesday cracked the whip and seized as many as six such buses.

Contract carriage buses are supposed to operate from point to point ferrying groups of people. They are not supposed to ply as regular stage carriage buses, picking up and dropping passengers from bus stands and en-route bus stops.

However, these buses had been plying as regular stage carriages between State Bank in Mangaluru and Puttur, Uppinangady, Belthangady, Vitla and other places. Worse still, the District Magistrate notification, which had put a cap on the number of buses that can enter State Bank, appeared not applicable to them as they moved right in front of the RTO office and District Magistrate’s office.

G.S. Hegde, in-charge Deputy Commissioner of Transport, Mangaluru, said six such buses had been seized and the matter would be referred to the court concerned. The Karnataka State Transport Authority, which had issued contract carriage permits, should look into the violations and take steps to cancel such permits, he said.

On the other hand, inspectors of motor vehicles checked several service and city buses in the city, which were using blaring and shrill horns. More than 50 buses were checked and cases were booked against 20 buses, and a fine of Rs. 1,000 imposed, Mr. Hegde said. The cases would be closed after bus owners remove such horns, he added.

The department also seized an earth mover in Bantwal and a car in Mangaluru, which had not been registered with the RTO. The owners had been evading payment of road tax without getting the vehicles registered, Mr. Hegde said.