Imphal, April 27, 2022(DIPR): The Transport Department of the state government has succeeded in reviving the Manipur State Transport (MST) and has been providing efficient and low-cost service public to the public. However, the shortage of adequate staff has been the biggest hindrance to the department in carrying out its rules and regulation enforcing activities from time to time.
This was expressed today by Deputy Director Shri David Elangbam while addressing to the media-persons at the ongoing series of press conferences of HOD organised by DIPR at its Moirangkhom office. Apart from the Deputy Director, the department was also represented by Shri Thiyam Dinachandra, DTO (Imphal West) and Dr Polem Lenin (OSD, MST) at the press conference.
Shri David said that transport system is an important indicator of the well-being and development of a society and its public. The main activities of the department are basically Non-Plan in nature viz., grant of driving licence, vehicle registration, route permits, revenue collection and enforcement of MV Act and Rules etc. Also recently, computerisation of various programmes with the introduction of VAHAN and SARATHI under the Smart Card System has been introduced, he added.
Besides the above routine responsibilities, the Transport Department is also functioning as Nodal Authority for the projects taken up with the aegis of various Central Ministries including expansion/development of Imphal International Airport, construction of Jiri-Tupul Railway Line, Inland Water Transport Projects (Loktak Phase 1 and 2 and Barak River) and Introduction of Helicopter Service including Air Ambulance, he added.
Shri David further added that department is trying its best to start the helicopter service on the coming May 15 as promised earlier by the state government to the people of Manipur. Regarding the revenue generated, he added that the revenue of this year 2017-18 stands the best in the recent year with a total of Rs 29, 96, 18, 473 till January 2018.
The department has been strictly working on convert the manual registration and licence cards to smart cards, and is taking the manual books as invalid so as to let know the public that possession of smart cards is a must. To carry out its activity of enforcing such rules and traffic regulations better, the department needs a better strength of staff as the present number of staff cannot effectively handle the enforcement, Shri David added.
OSD of MST Shri Lenin said that the revival of MST after being defunct for many years by the present state government on June last year is one of the biggest achievements of the department. He added that the introduction of public bus services has helped in earning a good amount of revenue to the department. The revenue earned from 26th June till 31st March 2018 is Rs 1. 05, 17, 568. Comparing this amount to the operational cost of Rs 93 lakhs, the introduction of the public bus transport system is a beneficial step to the government at the same time providing affordable service to the public, he added.
At current, there are seven (7) routes of inter-district bus services, and three mew routes have been given approval by the government to begin service at the earliest.
Shri Lenin also stated the new initiatives to be taken up by the department in the nearby future. These include introduction of hiring of MST buses on public holidays; introduction of Transit Advertisement; handheld Electronic Ticketing Machine and MST is venturing a Petrol Pump (retail outlet) as offered by Bharat Petroleum Oil Co-operation (BPCL).
The officials of the department later appealed the public of the state to co-operate and support in the activities taken by the department and to abide proper motor vehicle rules and regulations. (DIPR)