Bihar Transport Minister Damodar Raut on Friday, 30 October 2025, directed the issuance of show-cause notices to more than 10 District Transport Officers (DTOs) across the state for failing to meet their assigned revenue collection targets. The directive came during a departmental review meeting held at the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation auditorium in Phulwari Sharif, Patna.

Revenue Shortfall in Key Districts

During the review, Minister Raut was informed that revenue collection in several districts had fallen below 40 per cent of their assigned targets — a significant underperformance that prompted the disciplinary action. The underperforming districts identified include Munger, Kaimur, Saran, Jehanabad, Madhepura, Lakhisarai, Nawada, Buxar, Khagaria, and Saharsa.

Raut directed the concerned DTOs to explain their poor performance and instructed all officers to personally visit field locations to accelerate collection drives and meet set benchmarks.

Transparency and Enforcement Measures

To strengthen oversight at checkposts, the Minister ordered that body-worn cameras be provided to Enforcement Sub-Inspectors (ESIs) deployed at key checkposts, specifically those in Nawada, Kaimur, Gaya, and Gopalganj. The move is aimed at improving transparency in enforcement activities and reducing scope for irregularities on the ground.

Raut also announced a month-long special drive to seize vehicles operating without valid Registration Certificates (RCs) and ordered a complete crackdown on 'jugaad' vehicles — improvised transport units that operate outside the formal regulatory framework and are widely considered a road safety hazard.

Festival Safety and Passenger Protection

With the Diwali and Chhath festivals approaching, the Minister instructed officials to maintain strict vigil on bus services to prevent overloading and ensure passenger safety during peak travel periods. These festivals typically see a sharp surge in inter-district bus traffic across Bihar, making enforcement particularly critical.

Officials were also asked to expedite pending driving licence (DL) applications and directed the concerned agency to resolve complaints about the poor quality of DL cards within 15 days. Construction of driving training schools and bus stands is to be accelerated alongside ongoing road safety initiatives.

Road Safety and Accident Victim Welfare

On the issue of hit-and-run cases, Raut instructed DTOs to deal with victims and their families sensitively and ensure they receive benefits under government welfare schemes without delay. He directed officials to widely publicise the Pradhan Mantri Rahat Yojana, which provides cashless medical treatment to road accident victims, and stressed the need to inform the public about hospitals registered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

DTOs were asked to coordinate with District Magistrates and the scheme's nodal officers for effective implementation. The Minister also suggested creating awareness at police stations so that personnel could help accident victims gain admission to empanelled hospitals.

Senior officials present at the meeting included Transport Department Secretary Raj Kumar, State Transport Commissioner Arif Ahsan, and Additional Secretary Praveen Kumar. The Minister also inaugurated a selfie point named 'I Love Patna DTO' outside the Patna DTO office during the occasion.

How quickly the flagged districts improve their collection figures — and whether the body-camera rollout deters checkpost irregularities — will determine the real impact of Friday's directives.