Punjab Transport Department cancels big bus operators’ illegal routes

Advertisement

Chandigarh, April 3

The Punjab Transport Department has cancelled the illegal extension of routes and increase in trips by influential bus operators in the state.

The action by the State Transport Commissioner comes following the Regional Transport Authorities (RTA), accepting applications from the transporters for extension of routes and increase in trips.

Citing it the violation of Rule 128 of the Punjab Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, the Small Scale Bus Operators Association had taken up the matter with the STC. They had maintained that no stage carriage permit holder was authorised to file an application for the extension of routes or increase in trips.

The transporters had even blamed the Regional Transport Authorities (RTA) for favouring the big wigs. Citing the case of the RTA, Jalandhar, the association had pointed out that despite the rules, two meetings had been fixed on February 20 and 27 this year by the RTA, Jalandhar, for the grant of extension of routes and increase in trips for certain bigwigs. It is in violation of the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in ‘Vijayant Travel’s v/s State of Punjab & others’ case, said Jagbinder Grewal, general secretary, Small Scale Bus Operators Association.

Alleging that the transport mafia was still ruling the roost, he said the association accepting applications and not inviting applications from operators while starting new routes or extension of routes or increasing trips was in violation of the rules. The high court had held that when transport scheme formulated under Section 99 of the MV Act, 1988, in a specified ratio between the state transport undertaking and private bus operators, no suo motu application could be entertained.

Last year, the department had cancelled 39 illegally clubbed bus permits of private operators.

The Transport Minister had also directed the Secretaries of the RTA not to consider cancelled clubbed permits in any time-table being prepared in their offices and these invalid permits should be removed from the time tables in which such permits were included.