Mangalore : H. Raghunath, Deputy Commissioner for Transport, Shimoga Division said, the Transport Department has initiated a move to have an automated driving track, a vehicle inspection field and a heavy vehicle driving training institute on 10 acres of land at Mudipu on the outskirts of the city.

Speaking at a transport adalat, at the Regional Transport Office here, on Wednesday he said that the department has deposited Rs. 5 crore with the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board for handing over the land.

All facilities at Mudipu were expected to come up within three years from now. Once all facilities were commissioned, the existing RTO office near A.B. Shetty Circle would be used only for handling files.

No vehicles would have to be brought to the RTO office here and it would also ease traffic congestion to some extent.

Replying to complaints Afzal Ahmed Khan, RTO, Mangalore, said that an issue pertaining to restarting pre-paid autorickshaw service at Mangalore Central Railway Station would be taken up with the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Dakshina Kannada.

Mr. Raghunath said demand for introducing meters for autorickshaws in Puttur and Vitla towns would be studied.

An office bearer of Dakshina Kannada Bus Operators’ Association said that of about 350 city buses tickets were being issued through hand held machines in 150 buses. It would be introduced in other buses in phases.

G. Hanumantha Kamath, president, Nagarika Hitarakshana Samiti, alleged that the RTA was showing partiality in issuing route permits to buses operated by the KSRTC and private operators in the city.

He claimed that if the RTA had issued permits to private operators to operate from Kankanady and Mangaladevi to outskirts of the city it had denied permits to the KSRTC to operate to the similar destinations. Mr. Kamath questioned why it was so.

The other complaints raised at the adalat were pertaining to some city buses cutting trips on Sundays, some buses not having low footboards, lack of parking places for auto rickshaws, loud audio players in buses, lack of bus shelters, narrow service road below the fly over at Kottara Chowki, and traffic congestion in the city.

Replying to them Mr. Khan as many issues would have to be discussed in the RTA he would bring it to the notice of the RTA.

A Regional Transport Office at Surathkal will be opened shortly, according to H. Raghunath, Deputy Transport Commissioner, Shimoga Division.

At the transport adalat he said that the vehicle registration number KA 62 has been allotted to Surathkal.

Without mentioning when exactly the office would be opened he said that a rented building has been identified for the office.