Bus operators offload extra passengers in Palghar, send them ahead in cars; bus enters city no questions asked
A private bus intercepted by authorities outside Mumbai
Interstate private buses that have been entering Maharashtra have allegedly not been following social distancing and other mandatory protocols as RTO staffers say that daily, over 200 buses have been passing through the Manor checkpoint near Palghar on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway.
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Sources said that despite official permission for only 25 passengers, the buses manage to cram 40 people inside buses and the rest who are charged are accommodated in cars and SUVs.
Crowded buses come till Talasari in Palghar district with full capacity, passengers shift to smaller vehicles just outside Mumbai and then enter the city. The practice has apparently been rampant and buses have been coming in this manner not just from Gujarat but also Indore, Bangalore, Solapur and Nagpur.
"In fact, this issue has been highlighted by our teams and the RTO in Maharashtra has been very helpful and co-operative. We conducted a few joint raids on such buses that led to their confiscation and action," says Harsh Kotak, treasurer of Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India Bus and secretary of Mumbai Bus Malak Sangathan.
Transport department officials refused to speak on record but said that they initiate action whenever they get leads and specific information.
The bus industry, not just in Mumbai and MMR but across the country, is in a dire state as they had not been allowed to conduct operations during the COVID-19-caused lockdown.
"We are thankful to the Maharashtra government which has approved 100% waiver in Motor Vehicle Tax for the period between April 1 and September 30 (50 per cent of the total annual tax for the financial year 2020-2021) for public and goods transport operators," Kotak said.
The tax exemption was approved during the state cabinet meeting last Wednesday. It will be applicable to freight vehicles, tourist vehicles, excavators, private service vehicles, commercial vehicles, school buses and other annual tax-paying vehicles. Transport bodies are waiting for this circular to be issued.
40
No. of people being brought in pvt buses
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