Illegal buses; govt authorized GMs to check; PRTC Bathinda GM removed 4 buses from routes
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
In a bid to tighten the noose against the tax evaders, to collect lawful taxes from private bus operators and to provide best possible transport services to the passengers in the state, the Punjab government has authorized the general managers (GMs) of Punjab Roadways and Pepsu road transport corporation (PRTC) to check the buses within 500 meters of the bus stand area under their respective jurisdiction in respect of all types of buses in the State of Punjab.
Punjab principal secretary, department of transport has issued the notification in this regard. The department has conferred more powers to General Managers of Bus Depots. Apart from RTAs, now General Managers have been empowered to check the vehicles in the 500 meters surrounding area of the Bus stand.
“In Bathinda, we have launched the scheme and checked the papers of twenty private bus operators. Out of these, four bus operators don’t have the required documents like permits, have expired permits, without other relevant documents. We have removed that buses from their routes , parked them in the bus stand and informed the secretary regional transport authority (Secy. RTA) Bathinda. Now they will decide the further course of action” said Raman Sharma, general manager PRTC Bathinda depot.
Illegal buses; govt authorized GMs to check; PRTC Bathinda GM removed 4 buses from routes.. Sharma further added that “the campaign waged against the tax defaulter private companies by the Transport Minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring is yielding good results. This authorization to general managers to check the buses will get a major boost to the PRTC and Punjab roadways.’
It is noteworthy that due to the strict action against the tax defaulter private companies plying their buses in the State in violation of the transport norms and without paying taxes, the State netted Rs.4.29 crore as tax. During the campaign, 258 buses plying in the State without tax, documents besides illegal permits, were already impounded by the transport department.
October 23,2021
