Hry scheme for hiring buses on km basis: Unions protest

CHANDIGARH : The Haryana government has tried to find a middle path to address the issues pertaining to the shortage of buses and save itself from the pressure of roadways unions which are up in arms against ``privatisation’’ through its modified scheme for hiring of buses on kilometre basis. The scheme was approved by state cabinet on Wednesday.

However, leaders of roadways unions termed it a sham and maintain they would protest against it. They have been urging the government to have more buses, more workforce on lucrative routes as well. They were already protesting against routes given to private operators earlier and observed strikes.

The scheme aims to increase the coverage of services by hiring new non-AC buses on lease basis from private operators and to operate them. The state transport department would provide conductors of the buses under whose control these would ply.

The tenders by the operators will have to be submitted online for minimum five new standard non-AC buses.

The minimum indicated hiring rate of Rs 19.50 per km for diesel at a rate of Rs 60 per litre is expected for such hired buses for minimum assured mileage of 9,000 km per month and applicants are allowed to quote hiring rate lower than the above indicated hiring rate per km for depot location of their choice.

The rates of hiring charges would be discovered on the basis of rates quoted by the L-1 bidder (the lowest bidder) for the depot of choice indicated by the bidders.

In case of any mishap, the owner would arrange immediate financial assistance to cover medicare to injured persons or to the dependents of the deceased. The late departure and early arrival of a hired bus would be Rs 1,000 per instance.

‘NEW SCHEME A SHAM’

Leaders of the Haryana Roadways Workers Union and All Haryana Roadways Workers Union maintained that the so-called modified scheme was a sham as they had demanded scrapping of the previous scheme and the state government to have its own new buses and workforce.

“It is also yet another attempt of the government towards privatisation of the department and we would fight against it,” Haryana Roadways Workers Union general secretary Sarbat Poonia said.

Harinarayan Sharma, president of All Haryana Roadways Workers Union, said though the new scheme would give employment to conductors in the private buses, it had neither scrapped the previous scheme nor bought new buses nor seemed to have any plan for drivers.

He added that they too would strongly protest against the new scheme.

THE SCHEME AIMS TO INCREASE THE COVERAGE OF SERVICES BY HIRING NEW NONAC BUSES ON LEASE BASIS FROM PVT OPERATORS