Private operators in Punjab eating into state-run buses’ revenue pie

STATE GOVT FAILS TO INITIATE ACTION AGAINST ERRING TRANSPORTERS FOR ILLEGAL EXTENSIONS IN ROUTES, PERMITS

PATIALA: With state-run transport undertakings, including the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), Punjab Roadways, are reeling under financial crisis, the Punjab government has failed to take action against erring private operators for running their buses on illegally extended routes and permits.

Despite the Supreme Court order in 2016 to cancel 73 permits issued illegally, the transport companies, mainly owned by high-profile politicians, continue to ply buses on key routes.

These permits, issued during the previous SAD-BJP tenure, allowed integral coaches and luxury buses to run on highly lucrative routes, primarily to Chandigarh from different parts of the state.

In 2012, the Punjab and Haryana high court also directed the government to cancel these permits. The order was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2016.

“There is no stay and appeal pending in the court, but no action has been taken in past four-and-a-half years by Congress led government,” said Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, convener of the Prtc-linked trade unions.

He added that the delay in taking action is incurring huge financial losses to the state-run transport undertakings as the key routes for running luxury and other buses are with private players

Punjab transport minister Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said directions have been issued to scrutinise permits and extension of routes given to transporters in the past. “We have already initiated campaign against those running buses without paying road taxes. The whole process of issuing permits and extensions will be streamlined,” he said

State transport commissioner Amarpal Singh said the department has initiated the process to look into illegal permits.

Despite multiple notices, private operators continue to run buses on illegal extensions in the original bus route permits.

“In 2011, the state government amended the transport policy allowing unlimited extensions in existing permits. The rules have been floated during 2007-2017 as the influential transporters were allowed to have 3-4 extensions in the original bus route permits,” said an official.

In its 2018 transport policy, the state government stated to cancel these extensions but nothing has been done to date.