Transport Dept seeks report on clubbing of stage carriage permits

Rajmeet Singh

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 18

Taking note of the illegal clubbing of stage carriage permits of private bus operators, the Additional State Transport Commissioner has directed various regional transport authorities (RTAs) to examine whether such clubbing of permits was within their jurisdiction as per the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and Punjab Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

A communication in this regard has been sent to the RTAs at Patiala, Jalandhar, Ferozepur and Bathinda. “By getting stage carriage permits clubbed, private transporters illegally extend their routes,” sources said.

The move comes following the filing of a number of writ petitions by an Amritsar-based private transporter in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Officials said the RTAs clubbing the permits outside their jurisdiction was illegal and it violated the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Two years ago, the State Transport Department had cancelled 39 illegally clubbed bus permits of private bus operators, including 25 of the companies earlier owned by an influential political family.

As per norms, bus permits can be extended only once and not multiple times

The Small Scale Bus Operators Association said the acceptance of applications by the RTAs from transporters for the clubbing of permits was in violation of the Punjab Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.