Delivery vehicles under scrutiny
The rise in home delivery of food and daily consumables using private vehicles has reportedly come under the lens of the Transport Department for alleged registration violation. It is learnt that several food delivery agents are also under scrutiny for suspected tax evasion. The use of a private vehicle for commercial food delivery is illegal in India, as it violates motor vehicle laws. A private vehicle must be registered as a commercial vehicle with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) for any business-related transport of goods. In addition to fines, driving a vehicle for commercial purpose without the proper registration can lead to the vehicle being seized. Repeat offenses can also lead to more severe penalties. Transport authorities have conducted crackdowns on food delivery drivers using private vehicles for commercial purposes. Fines for this violation can be as high as Rs 5,000. Although the law is clear, enforcement has been inconsistent due to the rapid growth of the food delivery system. Standard personal auto insurance policy will not cover accidents that occur while using the vehicle for commercial purposes. It would be in the fitness of things to have a colour code for vehicles used for home delivery of food and daily consumables. It is pertinent to note that in Goa motorcycles used as taxis have a colour code of black and yellow. Having a colour code for vehicles used for delivery of food and other consumables will make it easier for the authorities to keep a tag on illegal activities. It will also prevent anti-social elements from visiting homes disguised as food delivery boys but with ulterior motives.
Adelmo Fernandes
Cricket’s dying format
Already Test Cricket lies in ICU and at this moment to prepare pitches like Perth and Eden Gardens, where the match finishes in two to two and a half days will only hasten the demise of the Gentleman’s Game soon. No doubt fans do enjoy the excitement of shorter formats. But scheduling more and more shorter format series will only bury Test Cricket under six feet phantom deep. Glad that the new Guwahati pitch is performing well and South Africa also are playing patient and proper test cricket to ensure they make history by whitewashing the home side. Regarding the Perth Test, the England bazball approach has failed England match after match. Yet Travis Head has shown how to counter the bazball style to prove that attack remains the best form of defence. Hope Ben Stokes and Coach McCullum adjust their tactics in upcoming Tests, or it could be another whitewash Ashes Series for them.
N Mahadevan, Chennai
India-Australia relations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s discussions with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of G20 summit at Johannesburg apparently focused on defence, security, trade, investment and people to people ties. India and Australia have had a fruitful relation over the years glued by mutual co-operation. Canberra has been a vocal Indian supporter in many international forums. The Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between the then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and PM Modi in September 2014 was a path breaker. Mark Turnbull, who took over in 2015, sustained the momentum provided by his predecessor. The present Prime Minister Albanese and Modi have taken bilateral relations to a new high.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Lopsided verdict
It is unfortunate that a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court has struck down an earlier verdict of a two-judge Bench of the same SC which fixed a time-frame for the Governors and the President to dispose of State Bills. Further, the recent verdict of the Apex Court Bench is more ambiguous and confusing than being clear and is far from conviction. When some of the Governors, particularly those appointed to the Opposition-ruled states, allegedly misuse the limited powers they enjoy as per the provisions of the Constitution and, the aggrieved states approach the SC as their last resort for redressal, the SC’s recent verdict has come as a great blow to their hopes and belief to get justice and relief. By declaring that the judiciary cannot tie the President and Governors to timelines, the SC Bench has done injustice to Opposition states which remain perpetually aggrieved due to the partisan attitude of such Governors who keep bills passed by the respective legislative assemblies under the carpet, for years together, without taking any decision on them. To add insult to injury, the SC Bench has also said that a Governor has the discretion of reserving a bill for consideration of the President even after an assembly re-passes the bill once returned by the Governor. This contravenes the belief, decades-old practice and claims of the opposition-ruled states that, once a state assembly re-passes a bill, the Governor has no option but to grant assent, as per constitution. The judgement is a travesty of justice and also an insult to the two learned judges of the earlier Bench that rightly spelt out timelines for the Governors and the President.
Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai
