RTO declares war on touts.

Byline: BANSY KALAPPA

: It's war, and it has sent touts scurrying.

At some of Bangalore's Regional Transport Offices, touts are a rare sight. Check out the Koramangala RTO office: tables and chairs once occupied by waylaying but well-entrenched touts have been smashed and hoarded on the second floor as a warning. `Scarecrow logic' at work.

The Indiranagar RTO office has warned touts soliciting customers at the parking lot and entrances. Ditto at the Yeshwantpur office.

Said Transport Commissioner T. Thimme Gowda: ``We have started out by clearing touts from RTO offices. They used to openly solicit customers at office entrances and parking lots, and we have dissuaded them from doing so. We have a four-fold plan to eliminate them. As a first step, we will outsource work to decongest RTO offices and improve working, there is prompt redressal through feedback forms and adalats, working is computerised and most forms are available on the Net. We have also physically prevented touts from soliciting customers through strict monitoring.''

Adds Gowda: ``Legally speaking, we cannot remove them completely because the law does not provide for their elimination. We can only check their aggression and prevent them from preying on unsuspecting ...