An overloaded trekker. Picture by Eastern Projections

Aug. 20: A 20-year-old youth died and seven persons were injured when a speeding trekker coming from Noonmati lost control, hit the road divider and overturned in Jalukbari.

The youth was identified as Satyam Phangsu, the son of Prabhat Phangsu, a resident of Geeta Nagar.

“We have admitted the injured to hospital. Their condition is said to be stable,” a traffic police officer said.

A case has been registered by the traffic branch of Jalukbari police station.

“The driver fled the spot after the accident,” the officer said.

He said rash driving by trekker drivers had become a major threat on the city roads.

According to rules, trekkers should not stop midway while travelling from their point of origin to the destination.

However, this rule remains only on paper and trekker drivers violate it with impunity. They stop in the middle of the road to pick up passengers.

“Speeding trekkers make passengers and others on the road nervous. They disregard traffic rules frequently. The authorities must look into this and take necessary action to regulate the reckless drivers,” Samiran Mahanta, an employee of a private college, said.

Another example of violation of rules by trekkers is carrying passengers beyond their seating capacity.

“They pack passengers like sardines as if no rules or regulation applies to them,” said Subhendu Deb, a retired employee of the state secretariat.

Residents alleged that neither the transport department nor the traffic police had taken steps to rein in the errant drivers.

Admitting to violation of traffic rules by trekkers, the traffic police officer said they could not conduct disciplinary drives against the errant drivers because of shortage of manpower.

“Despite constrains, we impose fines as and when we find them flouting rules. But this has failed to deter them from repeatedly violating traffic rules. Stern action like cancellation of permit and driving licence of habitual offenders by the transport department is required to regulate them,” he added.

“Trekker owners employ anybody who can drive, including underage and inexperienced people. How these drivers manage to get licences is another issue which needs to be addressed by the transport department,” he added.

More than 300 trekkers ply on the city roads.