Final break on MPRTC buses

Bhopal, May 31 (UNI) After zooming for more than four-and-a-half-decades on nationalised routes, the Madhya Pradesh Roadways Transport Corporation's (MPRTC) buses would come to a standstill from June one.

The state became the country's first to down the road transport corporation.

''Following the state government's decision to close down the MPRTC, now private bus operators could also ply their buses and all the nationalised routes would become denationlised,'' MPRTC General Manager P K Shrivastav told UNI here today.

He said buses moving on interstate routes would remain unaffected from the closure notification, which was issued 15 days ago, while private bus operators could also run their buses on these routes.

''MPRTC issued permits for about 1,600 contracted buses but as per the new arrangement, the private bus operators need not take permit from the corporation,'' said Mr Shrivastav.

He said due to the state High Court's directive, the MPRTC stopped the employees' retrenchment process.

''At present, more than 1,250 employees are working in the corporation while 72 employees have given the application for Voluntary Retirement Scheme, which have been accepted,'' he added.

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