HP to crackdown on bus operators without valid permits

Shimla, Jul 9 (UNI) Continuing with its crackdown on bus operators from outside who were plying buses in Himachal Pradesh without valid route permit, the state transport department has seized documents of 14 buses and found them either fake or tampered.

Transport Director Rajender Singh Thakur disclosed here that the documents were sent to the issuing authorities in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and these were found either tampered or not issued by the concerned authorities.

He said as regards one document being correctly verified by RTO Baghpat (UP), it was found that the RTO Baghpat has wrongly issued the permit to those operators as it was not authorised to issue permits in violation of the CMV Act/Rules.

The matter had already been taken up with the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, he added.

Mr Singh said Regional Transport Officers and other concerned field officers had been directed to conduct surprise checks on buses regularly and ensure that the commuters did not face any inconvenience in HRTC as well as private buses plying on different routes in the state.

As per Rule 128 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 read with Rule 10 of the Motor Vehicles (All India permit for tourist transport operations) Rules, 1993, an all India Permit for Tourist Transport Operators shall be issued only in respect of vehicles with seating capacity of not more than 39 seats, excluding the driver and the conductor.

He said the Act clearly stated that no permits could be issued to buses having sleeper berths and added that the government would not allow the plying of buses with sleepers in the state keeping in view the security of commuters.

UNI AS HS KK KN 1933