Scheme to be lauched to convert pool cars, buses from private to commercial vehicles
26 July 2016 12:52 AM GMT
The state Transport department has decided to introduce a scheme to help pool car owners to convert the nature of vehicles from private to commercial ones through ‘tax adjustment’.
The state Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari held a meeting with representatives of pool cars and school bus owners at Paribahan Bhavan on Monday. It may be mentioned that a large number of pool cars are private cars and it is illegal to engage the vehicles for commercial uses without changing its nature.
Vehicles plying for less than 10 years can apply for the conversion from private to commercial ones.
The state government has urged the owners of the pool cars to submit necessary documents to avail
the scheme.
Explaining the need of introducing the scheme, an official of the Transport department said that it
will help both the pool car owners as well as the state government.
The reason being they will no more face harassment for engaging a private car for commercial use and at the same time the state government will be able to implement the necessary norms. It may be recalled that the Transport department had set a deadline for pool car and school bus owners to comply with the set of norms.
They were also assured of every support from the state government for doing so. Adhikari had himself written to the school authorities to ensure that they also got involved in ensuring the safety and security of students who travel in pool cars and school buses.
It was learnt that at present around only 1400 out of 4500 vehicles, which carry school children, have valid permit.
Similarly, only half of around 3,000 school buses have valid permits. Hence, the state government has taken the initiative so that the vehicles carrying school goers have valid permits. Thus, the deadline for owners of pool car and school buses to meet with the set norms has been extended till October 31 and there will be a review meeting on November 2.
Transport dept sticks to its demand of surveillance cameras in app-cabs
The state Transport department has stuck to its stand of making installation of surveillance cameras in app-based cars, to ensure safety and security of passengers.
It is learnt that the app-based cab operators have shown reluctance in setting up the cameras in the cars and there was no mention of the cameras in the report that they had recently submitted to the state transport department.
The state Transport department had made it clear to the operators that they have to develop certain infrastructure to ensure security of passengers and it includes installation of surveillance cameras. It was told to them when the department had handed over offer letters to the aggregators, which includes Ola, Uber, Meru and Taxi for Sure.
The offer letters were given to them on February 17, with the expression that they will get licences if they come up with the required infrastructure and submit pending documents within the next three months. The West Bengal government was the first in the country to provide such offer letters and frame guidelines for the operation of app-based cars.
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