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Ravi Chandel
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, September 20
Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) mini-bus operators observed a strike today and closed the mini bus stand to express their anger against the administration for not taking action against the private mini-bus operators plying their buses with expired permits.
Besides, they alleged that the private mini-bus operators were not plying their buses according to the scheduled timetable, which was drafted with the cooperation of the PRTC and private mini-bus operators recently.
Gurjant Singh, a PRTC employee and president of the Schedulee Cast and Backward Class Employees Union (SCBC), said, “Despite observing a strike and closing the mini bus stand, the district administration didn’t bother to listen us. We will intensify the protest tomorrow.”
He said till the time the administration didn’t take strict action against the private mini-bus operators for not plying the buses according to the timetable and ban the buses plying in the city with expired permits, they would not call off the strike.
As per the PRTC record, around 13 private mini-buses out of 26 on the Bathinda-Goniana route are plying with expired permits.
Around eight private mini-buses out of 19 on the Bathinda-Bhucho Mandi route are plying with expired permits.
Surender Singh, general manager, PRTC, said, “We are facing Rs 90,000 loss due to the strike called by the PRTC employees action committee. Although we have tried to sort out the matter with the private mini-bus operators, due to their careless attitude, circumstances went out of my hands. As a result, the PRTC mini-bus operators held a strike today.”
On being asked whether the PRTC mini-bus operators would continue the strike or not, Singh said, “I am not aware of it.”
On the other hand, Baltej Singh, president of the Private Mini-Bus Operators Union, confirmed that there were some private mini-buses plying in the city with expired permits, but the owners of the buses had submitted the fee and had also given taxes according to the state transport norms.
Now, it is up to the administration to renew their permits, he added.
“I don’t understand why they are pressuring the administration to implement the state transportation norms only on the private mini-buses rather than the private inter-state Volvo buses, which are also plying with expired permits,” he said.
Road and Transport Authority (RTA) Udaydeep Singh Sidhu said, “I met the PRTC general manger regarding the strike of the PRTC mini-bus operators. Besides, I have also spoken to the private mini-bus operators’ president on the same issue. They agreed to resume plying the buses on the scheduled timetable on the condition that the PRTC operators would also ply their buses as per the schedule.”
On being asked about the expired permit of private mini-bus operators, Sidhu said, “I have confirmed that a number of private mini-buses have expired permits but they are regularly paying taxes. Besides, the PRTC does not have sufficient buses for the convenience of the public. If we stop the buses with expired permits from plying then the public will have to face the consequences.”
The RTA also shared information that revised norms for the renewal of permits would be announced on September 29.
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