The Transport Department was once under the Police Department. In 1979, it was bifurcated from the Police Department with the creation of Directorate of Transport. The role and responsibilities of Transport Department is multifarious and has increased manifold. Most of the activities of Transport Department are basically Non-Plan in nature, viz, grant of driving licence, vehicle registration, route permits, revenue collection as motor vehicle taxes/fees/fines & enforcement of MY Act & Rules etc. Computerisation of various programmes with the introduction of VAHAN & SARATHI under the Smart Card System.

Besides the above routine responsibilities, the Transport Department is also functioning as Nodal Authority for the projects taken up with the aegis of various Central Ministries including expansion/development of Imphal lnternational Airport, construction of Jiri-Tupul Railway Line, Inland Water Transport Projects(Loktak Phase- I & II and Barak River which under active consideration for exploration) & introduction of Helicopter Service including Air Ambulance.

The Transport Department has a total of 407 sanctioned posts, which include the posts in the Directorate office and 16 District Transport Offices across all the districts in the state. With the recent recruitment of 161 new personnel for various posts, the total number of staff in the department has increased to 248. Out of the 16 District Transport Offices, the offices in Jiribam, Kakching, Noney, Pherzawl, and Kamjong have been made functional.

(i) Restoration and Establishment of Manipur State Transport: After the liquidation of Manipur State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) in 2003, the State Government decided to restore and establish Manipur State Transport (MST) to provide an affordable, efficient, sustainable and well co-ordinated road transport service to the public. Hon’ble Chief Minister launched the MST bus service on 25-06-2017.

(ii) Revenue Collection:There has been sustained increase in the revenue collection by the Transport Department. The amount of Revenue collection in the last four year are given below:

(iii) Inter State Bus Terminal (Deulaland): The Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) was physically commissioned on a trial basis for six months through the IMC, following a decision by the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) on 13-11-2016. This trial period was further extended until 31-12-2017, with the condition that the operation and maintenance of the ISBT would be outsourced under the PPP mode.

The tender for selecting an implementing agency to conduct a feasibility study for the “Re-Development of the Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT), Khuman Lampak, Imphal” under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode has already been floated. The department is currently in the process of awarding the tender to the selected agency to carry out the works.

(iv) Construction of Two ISTTs: The NEC has released 1^st instalment amounting to Rs. 5.00 crore to PWD for construction of an ISTT (Inter State Truck Terminus) at Sekmai during the 12^th five years plan. The land measuring an area of 18.34 acre situated at Revenue village No. 35-Mandop Yumnam under Lamshang Sub-Division, Imphal West District is the site for construction of the said ISTT and the civil work has commenced. Another land measuring an area of 8.87 acre at Churachandpur-Jiribam (NH-37) has also been acquired for construction of another ISTT.

The Department is working actively to contain the smoke emissions in the State particularly from the diesel (HSD) driven vehicles in a more holistic manner with the fresh arrival of 8 sets of smokemeters released by the MoRTH, GOI. The Commissioner (Transport), Govt. of Manipur has recommissioned/inaugurated the Pollution Testing Centre, Imphal West located at the erstwhile MSRTC Complex, Moirangkhom on 27th July’ 2016 which had become non-functional since 2013 besides launching of 2(two) hilly terrain light cranes released by the MoRTH, GOI under the National Highway Accident Relieve Service Scheme (NHARSS) . Further, necessary steps are also taken up for setting up smoke testing centres at the offices of DTO/Thoubal, DTO/Kangpokpi & DTO/Churachandpur besides the existing centre at DTO/lmphal East (Mantripukhri) now under transfer to ISBT/Dewlaland for covering a large no. of vehicles for smoke testing and gr~lnt of Pollution under Control Certificates. Another effort is drafting for Amendment of the Motor Vehicles (Fourth Amendment) Rules for Manipur, 1997 with enhancement of testing fees, review of rank of testing officers and outsourcing of vehicular emission test to the recognised/approved motor dealers as well as petrol pumps subject to self procurement installation of testing machines (smokemeters & gas analysers) and levy of royalty.

SMART CARD PROJECT : The Department has implemented Smart Card Projects for VAHAN & SARATHI in the 8 DTOs namely in Imphal West (2008), Imphal East (2009), Churachandpur (2009), Bishnupur (2010), Thoubal (2010), Kangpokpi (2010), Senapati (2015) and Ukhrul (2016). Back end entry of vehicle registration and driving licence data into the computer are being taken up and likely to be completed by March 2018. Conversion of manual R/C & D/L format into Smart Card format while processing for transfer of ownership, registration of the vehicle, issuance of Registration Certificate and Driving licences are part and parcel of computerisation of Transport Department. The work of back end data entry is outsourced to MANITRON. Now, the Deptt. is actively working on Dealer End Registration System and the same is in the pipeline for early commissioning.

Implementation of HSRP Project was launched in the state with effect from 12th April, 2012 in compliance of the Order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of dated 8-12-2011 passed in I.A Nos. 10,16,17 & 18 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 510 of 2005, MANINDERJIT SINGH BITT A Versus UNION OF INDIA. Since then, affixing of HSR Plates operation covers all the District Transport Offices (Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Senapati and Ukhrul). Number of HSRP fitted as on 31-12-2017 is 2,33,656 against effective vehicle population of 3,67,035 (as on Dec.2017). Joint drives are still conducted with the assistance of Manipur Police/Traffic Control Police for booking/challaning of offences committed by the vehicle owners as the lead time two years given for affixation of HSRP in the case of old/existing vehicles other than newly registered vehicles has already been expired. This project was assigned to M/S Shimnit Utsch India Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai being the lowest bidder and as recommended by the Tender committee headed by the Commissioner (Finance). The tenure of the MoU, Gol entered for rendering services for 5 years has already been expired and the Department is actively working for floating of fresh tender as recommended by the Advocate General, Manipur/Law Department subject to the condition that the same Service Provider is allowed to continue to render the services till the finalization of the tender process.

The Supreme Court Road Safety Committee as well as MoRTH, GOI/National Road Safety Council are monitoring Road Safety issues. The State Level Road Safety Council (SLRSC) under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Minister (Transport) has been constituted. At the district level, as suggested by Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, District Road Safety Committee under the Chairman (Ex-officio) of District Magistrate and Collector has also been constituted.

A meeting of the State Level Road Safety Council (SLRSC) under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Minister (Transport) was held on 5th January, 2023 to discuss various directions/ instruction of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety.

Under the directives of the Supreme Court Committee on road Safety, Transport Department has initiated the non-lapsable Manipur Road Safety Fund Scheme, 2019. The generation of road safety fund has been initiated from Jan, 2019 with deposition of 50% of the compounding fees collected from the offenders of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Central Motor Vehicles, Rules, 1989 and another 50% to Government to the account as revenue.