The Gazetteers Department

The Motor Vehicles department deals with the administration of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act, 1939 as amended by Act 100 of 1956 and the Bombay Motor Vehicles Rules, 1959, the Bombay Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1958, the Bombay Motor Vehicles Taxation Rules, 1959 and the Bombay Motor Vehicles (Taxation of Passengers) Act (LXV of 1958). Under the first Act all motor vehicles have to be registered; all drivers have to obtain a licence which is given only on their passing a prescribed test of competence; the hours of work of drivers of public vehicles are restricted and third party insurance of all private vehicles plying in public places has to be effected. It gives power to the State Government to subject vehicles to strict mechanical tests and to control the number of vehicles to be licensed for public hire, to specify their routes and also the freight rates. Fees are leviable for registration and issue of licences and permits.

State Transport Authority.

The department is headed by the Director of Transport, Maharashtra State. For the administration of the above Acts, State Transport Authority has been established for the State and Regional Transport Authorities with headquarters at Bombay, Pune, Thana, Nagpur and Aurangabad with Sub-Regional offices at Amravati, Kolhapur and Nasik. The State Transport Authority co-ordinates the activities of the Regional Transport Authorities. The Regional Transport Authority controls the different categories of transport vehicles in the region and deals with the issue of permits to them according to the policy laid down by the State Transport Authority and the State Government from time to time. It also performs such duties as grant of authorisation to drive public vehicles and conductors' licences, take departmental action against those permit holders who contravene any condition of the permit, etc., and prescribe policy in certain important matters relating to vehicular transport in the region.

Regional Transport Authority.

The jurisdiction of the Regional Transport Authority with headquarters at Nagpur extends over the district of Wardha besides other districts in Nagpur Division viz., Nagpur, Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Yeotmal.

Regional Transport Officer.

The Regional Transport Officer functions as the Secretary and Executive Officer of the Authority. In his capacity as Regional Transport Officer he is the licensing authority for drivers and the registering authority for registering vehicles. He is invested with powers of prosecuting offenders under the Motor Vehicles Act.

The immediate subordinate to the Regional Transport Officer at the headquarters is the Regional Supervisor. He assists the Regional Transport Officer in executing his duties, looks after the office administration and acts for him in his absence. He supervises the work of Inspectors and Assistant Inspectors. They are assisted by the requisite number of Inspectors and other ministerial staff.

For the convenience of motoring public in the district, one Motor Vehicles Inspector is deputed every month from the headquarters for (i) inspection of vehicle for the purpose of renewal of F. C, (ii) driving test, (iii) conductor's test, and (iv) test for P. S. V. Badge. Special arrangements are also made in the district to collect the taxes under the above said three taxation Acts once every quarter.

Assistant Inspectors carry out routine office work and assist Inspectors in carrying out inspections of vehicles. They look after the work of Inspectors when the latter are on tour or on special duty.

Liaison with Police Department.

This department has liaison with the Police department which helps in checking motor vehicles periodically and in detecting offences under the Motor Vehicles Act. It also attends to references from the Motor Vehicles department regarding verifications of character of applicants for public service vehicle authorisations, conductors' licences, taxi-cab permits, etc. Besides, it helps in the verification of vehicles which are off the street, recovery of arrears of taxes and in specifying particular places for bus stops etc. The District Magistrate renders all possible help to this department in connection with imposition of restrictions on road transport, fixation of speed limit, and location of motor stands at various places, etc.

Bombay Motor Vehicles Tax Act.

Under the Bombay Motor Vehicles Tax Act, taxes are levied on all motor vehicles except those designated and used solely for agricultural operations on farms and farm lands. The taxes are imposed according to the type of vehicle (e.g., motor cars and cycles, goods vehicles, passenger vehicles, etc.) and their laden or unladen weight. The Act has removed all municipal and State tolls on motor vehicles. The Rules under this Act lay down that when a vehicle is to be registered within the State, the registering authority (i.e., the Regional Transport Officer or the Assistant Regional Transport Officer) shall verify the particulars furnished in the application for registration (e.g., the make of the vehicle, its capacity, etc.) and determine the rate of the tax for which the vehicle is liable. Every registered owner who wants to use or keep for use any vehicle in the State has to pay the tax determined in respect of transport vehicles. The limits within which he intends to use the vehicle i.e., whether only within the limits of particular municipality or cantonment or throughout the State have to be stated. A token for the payment of the tax is issued by the Taxation Authority. This has to be attached to and carried on the vehicle at all times when the vehicle is in use in a public place. A fresh declaration has to be made annually or every time the tax is to be paid (i.e., quarterly, half-Yearly or annually). The Taxation Authority before issuing the token in respect of the payment of the tax has to satisfy itself that every declaration is complete in all respects and the proper amount of tax has been paid. Every owner of a motor vehicle has to give an advance intimation of his intention of keeping his vehicle in non-use during any period for which he desires to be exempted from the payment of tax, and declare the place of garage while in non-use. The Bombay Motor Vehicles (Taxation of Passengers) Act, 1958, envisages levy and payment to the State Government of a tax on all passengers carried by stage carriages (including stage carriages used as contract carriages) at 10 per cent. inclusive of the amount of the fares payable to the operators of the stage carriages except where such stage carriages ply exclusively within municipal area or exclusively on such routes serving municipal and adjacent areas as may be approved by the State Government.

By September 1967 there were 945 vehicles in operation in the district of Wardha.

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