VELLORE: The state budget for 2012-13 will reduce road accidents and improve driving on roads, according to transport officials and related associations.The Tamil Nadu Budget for 2012-13 was presented by the State Finance Minister, O Paneerselvam at the assembly on Monday. The budget for Road Transport was received with applause by many in Vellore. The Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Federation welcomed the announcement of the setting up of 13 training schools for heavy vehicle drivers in 13 districts at a cost of `13 crore. State Vice President of The Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Federation and a managing committee member of All India Motor Congress, Dharmalingam said, “As Vellore is one of the 10 corporations in the State, there will be a training school in this district. This will obviously improve the driving skills of the heavy vehicle drivers and the announcement will benefit both government and private vehicles.” Pointing out that such a school is present only in Namakkal, he added that anybody who has been trained in this school could even operate stage carrier buses (heavy passenger) easily. Other transport department officials believe that tax exemption on the five per cent VAT for helmets is an extremely positive step. The announcement of reduction in the VAT of 14.5 per cent to five per cent for the battery-operated two-wheelers is also in line to save petrol, they added. However, the fee for obtaining special number plates for vehicles has been doubled. Vellore Regional Transport Officer, Pon Senthilnadhan said, “At present, a fee of `2,000 is collected to obtain the vehicle number plate that one wishes. The fee for a car, if it costs within `4 lakh, is `5,000 whereas the fee is `8,000 if the car costs more than `Four lakh. For lorries and trucks, the fee is `8,000. In the Vellore regional office, out of the total 75 vehicle number plates alloted in a day, only six apply for the special number plates, he added.
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