GHMC’s truck drivers turn threat to public

Hyderabad: As many as 1,000 GHMC drivers who claim to have license drive on the city’s roads snuffing out lives, the latest being two youths who were crushed to death on the Ramakrishna flyover.

The GHMC has around 2,000 drivers. Of this many do not have heavy vehicle license. Only 200 drivers are permanent while the rest are on contract.

The GHMC does not conduct background checks on drivers. In the case of TPF president Akula Bhumaiah who was mowed down by a GHMC truck at Nagole in 2013, the truck was driven by the cleaner and not the driver. The truck’s driver was absent on the day and a cleaner was given the keys.

GHMC’s vehicles are parked at Kavadiguda, Khairatabad and Malakpet. It is in these areas that assistant engineers of the transport department conduct maintenance checks.

These vehicles transport 3,600 tonnes of garbage every night to the Jawaharnagar dump yard.

The Road Transport Authority does not check GHMC garbage trucks as they belong to a government department.

The GHMC has 889 vehicles which are being used for garbage collection and veterinary services. Of these, 663 are exclusively used for the collection, transport and disposal of garbage.

According to RTA rules, the maximum life of a vehicle is 15 years. After expiry date a fitness certificate has to be obtained from the RTA every year.

Meanwhile most ghmc garbage trucks over 15 years old

Most of the GHMC garbage vehicles have completed their life span of 15 years. The transport department had earlier issued notices to the GHMC asking it to either replace them or operate them elsewhere.

According to rules transport vehicles which have completed 15 years of service should either be replaced or operated outside the GHMC area.

The Corporation owns around 650 vehicles of which around 60, particularly garbage trucks, have completed the prescribed service period of 15 years but are still being operated on city roads.

Though the standing committee had earlier approved funds for procuring new garbage vehicles so far no new vehicles have been procured especially for the health and sanitation wing.

That apart since one year the GHMC has not obtained fitness certificates for these vehicles and continues to operate them.

The Corporation has been paying around Rs 4 lakh as green tax every year to the transport department. When vehicles are sent for fitness verification, the transport department checks the life and service of a vehicle.

Based on the inspection a regular road and green tax is charged and replacement of vehicles that have exceeded the 15 year service sought.

Apart from old vehicles, nearly 60 per cent of the 650-odd vehicles are yet to obtain fitness certificates. The GHMC pays about Rs 60 lakh annually as road tax for its vehicles.

Many GHMC drivers face accident cases

On November 5, 2014, three young men were killed and one person was seriously injured when a GHMC tipper lorry rammed into two bikes near the Ramakrishnapuram flyover in Neredmet. A case was booked against the GHMC driver at Neerdmet police station.

In December 2013, Telangana Praja Front president Akula Bhumaiah was killed when a GHMC truck hit him. Nallakunta police booked a case of murder following a complaint. Truck driver Chennaiah was taken into custody.

In 2009, two GHMC sanitary workers were killed when a lorry hit them near Nampally railway station.

In a minor accident in January 2014, a garbage vehicle driver of GHMC, hit the divider of Nalgonda X Road bridge at around 1:45 am. According to an eyewitness the driver of the GHMC vehicle was trying to overtake another vehicle and hit the divider. No one was injured in the accident.

In March 2013 one Venkatesh S.R., the contract driver of a garbage vehicle of the GHMC was booked for rape of a mentally ill woman aged around 25, near the cantonment area.