Punjab announces amnesty scheme for public transporters

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, April 23

The Punjab government has come up with an “amnesty scheme” for the private transport sector, including cab and auto-rickshaw operators, in order to reinvigorate the business.

About 78,000 bus, cab and auto-rickshaw operators stand to benefit from the scheme.

These transporters, cab and auto-rickshaw drivers, who could not deposit the taxes because of the covid-induced decline in footfall, will now get a chance to pay their taxes without paying the interest on due taxes or penalty. They will have to deposit their old tax within three months, till July 24.

Though the exact number of bus transporters who had failed to pay their Motor Vehicle Tax (of Rs 2.54 per kilometre) and cess over most part of the two-year period of the pandemic is not known, official sources in the government say that at least 50 per cent of the private transporters fall in this category. The MVT and cess together work out to be Rs 2.75 per kilometre.

Sources in the transport business say that more than 1,200 private buses had paid their MVT, either because they were issued fresh permits by the previous government after the start of the pandemic, or because the old ones had to renew their permits and were forced to pay the MVT for securing a renewal. The same is the case with cab and auto drivers.

There are 2,500 buses run by private transporters, of which 1,200-odd buses would benefit from the amnesty scheme, said Rajinder Singh Bajwa, secretary of Punjab Motor Union. The majority of beneficiaries, however, are the auto and cab drivers.

With this scheme, the government will also start adding to its non-tax revenue, whose collection for years has been far below the target. Official sources say they are hopeful of getting Rs 80 crore in taxes under the amnesty scheme.

Interestingly, private transporters are also hopeful of an announcement of a level-playing field for all private bus operators. A meeting with the State Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar is scheduled for the coming week, where an announcement in this regard is expected.

Private transport companies, owned by politicians, get more time to pick up passengers, thus allowing them to take more passengers. Sources in the private transporters say while these “favoured” transport companies get eight-10 minutes at a stop, others get just two to three minutes.

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