Tipping point: Police want RTA to stop killer trucks

Kochi: With accidents involving trucks recurring in the district, the Ernakulam rural police have sought the help of regional transport authority (RTA) to regulate the movement and speeding of tipper trucks.
On April 6, the public blocked the Kochi-Thekkady state highway after a truck ran over a milkman, killing him instantly.
Following the incident, Kunnathunadu police CI had submitted a memorandum to the department of mining and geology, requesting them to check the menace of truckers who drive recklessly at all hours and put fellow motorists in danger.
Kunnathunadu CI E Balakrishnan said that the police have been tracking the movement of trucks in the area recently.
"The mining and transportation of red earth is rampant in the eastern parts of the district, including Aluva, Muvattupuzha, Malayattoor, Kothamangalam and Kunnathunadu areas. Though officials seize vehicles carrying red earth illegally, violators manage to escape by paying a fine of Rs 25,000," said Balakrishnan.
He has already written to the mining and geology department to regulate trucks and will also approach the RTA requesting the same.
The police are keeping a close watch on trucks across the district as they neither follow the 60 kmph speed limit nor ply with speed governors or have proper documentation and passes. The police have also found that passes issued by the mining department are being misused for night trips.
Other than endangering the lives of fellow motorists, rash driving and night trips of trucks and tippers also point to the rampant illegal mining and transportation in the district.
Over the years, the construction sector has been growing exponentially in the district. But the royalty collected for transporting earth has seen a fall of over 50% in the last three years, pointing to large-scale malpractices by the officialdom as well as transporters and builders.
If the mining and geology department in Kochi made Rs 2.92 crore from royalty during the 2012-13 period, the same fell to Rs 2.82 crore in 2013-14 and came further down to Rs 1.18 crore in 2014-2015.
The geology department levies Rs 100 as royalty from each tipper for transporting red earth. Till April this year, around 25 such trucks have been seized from Aluva, Perumbavoor and west Kochi.
"Every month, we receive around four complaints regarding unauthorized transportation of red earth. The government order of 2014 allows for unlimited extraction for domestic purpose. People have now started misusing that order," said Manulal P Ram, district officer with the geology department.
The RTO officials stated that they would look into the matter.