A letter to Nitin Gadkari from a harassed commuter

by June 17, 2015 Commute
A citizen writes to the Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging him to help negotiate a pact with Karnataka, to put an end to the harassment of non-KA registered vehicle owners by RTO officials.

Touts stopping non-KA registered vehicles opposite Kadugodi police station on June 8th 2015. Pic: Waseem Memon

 

Dear Sir,

At the outset, let me express my sincerest thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet me in Nagpur on May 17th 2015. You gave me a patient hearing and assured me that my concerns with regards to freedom of movement of motor vehicles across all states, shall be addressed in the New Motor Vehicles Bill to be tabled soon in the Parliament.

While we may still be able to Drive Without Borders across states, I believe we may need to add Republic of Karnataka (RoK) as a signatory to the Motor Vehicles Pact inked recently amongst Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal. The BBIN pact needs to be expanded to BBINRoK pact.

As a citizen of Republic of Karnataka, I am forced to reach out to you because the Government of the Republic of Karnataka does not seem to want vehicles from the Union of India to ply in their Republic. I am not very well-versed in diplomatic relations between the Union of India and the Republic of Karnataka. I only hope that your good office would be able to negotiate a pact with the Republic, enabling vehicles from the Union of India to ply in the Republic of Karnataka without fear of being clamped down upon by over-zealous RTO officials.

Thanking you.

Regards,

An aggrieved citizen from the Republic of Karnataka

Related Articles

An open letter to the Transport Commissioner
Crackdown on non-KA registered vehicles to begin soon?
Non-Karnataka vehicle owners burdened by high re-registration fee in Bangalore, ask CM to rationalise rules

Sections:

About Waseem Memon

Read more by Waseem Memon

Comments:

  1. Deepanshu Kalra says:
    June 18, 2015 at 7:57 am

    Shame!

    Reply
  2. skeptic says:
    June 18, 2015 at 8:43 am

    Please don’t trouble the ministers, they have to deal with so many problems, a commuter’s plea is the last thing on their mind. Plus, you made an error: It is Republic of the Corrupt, not Republic of Karnataka.

    Reply
  3. Naresh Giddi says:
    June 19, 2015 at 6:35 am

    Looters

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Cycle city no more? Audit reveals only 11% of Pune’s roads pass the test

by January 1, 2026 Commute
Pune is set to host the 2026 Grand Tour, but a Parisar audit reveals unsafe, narrow, and encroached cycle tracks across the city.

Children and adults pedalling to school, work and play — this was a common sight on Pune's streets not so long ago. Once known for its vibrant cycling culture, the city still has many groups and communities that promote non-motorised transport. However, with the rise of motorised vehicles, cycling has not only taken a back seat, but has also become unsafe and inconvenient due to poor infrastructure. This is despite Pune having dedicated cycle tracks and lanes. The decline in cycling infrastructure is reiterated by a recent audit, which found that only 11% of cycle tracks in Pune fell in…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Why accessibility remains elusive at Bengaluru’s bus stops and terminals

by December 31, 2025 Commute
Our reality check of the city's major bus stops revealed that most do not adhere to MoRTH guidelines, excluding persons with disabilities.

Bengaluru is racing to bridge the gap between first-mile and last-mile connectivity in public transport, but for people with disabilities, the journey is riddled with obstacles. Inaccessible bus stops and terminals in the city keep them excluded. “I have been travelling on muscle memory alone. There are no supportive facilities or infrastructure in bus stops or terminals,” says Mohan Kumar, a visually-impaired person who has been commuting in Bengaluru buses since 2012.  The exclusion starts at the bus stop. “Even if buses are inclusive, it is nearly impossible to reach the bus stops in Bengaluru due to poor design and…

Continue reading