Passenger list must in all public vehicles

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Jan 29: The State Transport Authority of the Government of Assam has made it mandatory for all passenger vehicles to carry a list indicating the complete identity of the  passengers along with their addresses during the period of journey.

"As per Rule 85 of CMV Rules, 1989, it is mandatory that every tourist permit holder shall prepare a list of passengers in triplicate to be carried in the vehicle giving full particulars like - me, address and age of the passenger and the starting and point of destition," an official release said.

 The government has taken this initiative in view of the unfortute accident that took place on the early morning hours on January 25 at Thongseng Bazar, Sopur in Meghalaya. A bus, travelling from Guwahati to Durlavcherra (Karimganj), fell into a deep gorge killing 11 persons on the spot and seriously injuring 17 others. It took quite long to ascertain the details of the dead and injured passengers as there was no passenger list maintained by the owner of the vehicle.

"Moreover, it is often seen that that due to non-maintence of passenger list, the mes of the accident victims cannot be communicated to appropriate authorities and their kins to provide medical aid and other legal aid during the course of exigency," the release said.