Private bus operators oppose HRTC’s decision to start JNNURM buses

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, February 16

Private bus operators are up in arms against the new buses introduced by the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

They said as per the rules, these buses should operate in the 40-km circuit across the state. But the HRTC was operating these on inter-state and long routes that had hit their business.

Pawan Kumar Sony, proprietor of New Prem Bus Service that operates nearly 200 private buses in the state, said private bus operators in Kangra district had been hit the most by the HRTC’s decision of operating JNNURM buses on long routes.

He said 3,800 private buses were operating in the state, out of which 3,300 buses were being operated just in Kangra district.

These buses were paying a monthly State Road Tax (SRT) of Rs 14 crore per month to the state government, he said.

Manmohan Bedi of Bedi Travels, that operates 25 buses in the state, said: “As per the Transport Policy of the state, any operator who defaults in the payment of the SRT cannot be given additional routes. The HRTC is also a bus operator in the state and owes Rs 3,000 crore in the form of the SRT to the state government. As per the rules, the HRTC should not have been given any new route in the state. However, it is strange how JNNURM buses are operating despite the fact that new routes have not been allotted to the HRTC.” Davinder Khosla of the New Sutlej bus service said JNNURM buses were being operated at a fare of 90 paise per km, whereas the fare of private buses was Rs 1.44 per km. With about 40 per cent less fare, the JNNURM buses were creating unfair competition for private bus operators.

“At whatever route JNNURM buses are operating they have made business unviable for private bus operators,” he said.

Ravi Dutt of Daraman Associates bus service said: “Whenever a new route permit is issued by the Regional Transport Authority or the State Transport Authority objections are invited from existing operators. However, the HRTC has started operating new buses procured under JNNURM without inviting any objection from existing operators which is illegal.”

Private bus operators said they approached the police and civil authorities to stop illegal operation of JNNURM buses. But, the authorities failed to act as the buses were being operated by a public sector organisation.

They said in case the state government failed to redress their grievances, they would be forced to knock the court’s door.

Minister for Transport GS Bali, when asked said the government, was aware about their problems, adding that providing relief to the common man was the first priority of the state government. The state government would try to sort out the problem of private operators also after deliberating the matter with them, he added.