Kolkata: West Bengal Motor Vehicles Tax (Amendment) Bill 2020 was passed in the state Assembly on Tuesday, paving the way for allowing contract carriage permit to bike taxis, so that they can ply commercially in the state. The reduction in the tax and permit fee will encourage the rolling out of more bike taxis across the state.
"At present only 68 bike taxis are registered with us. But there is a demand for a mechanism so that these vehicles can be made commercially viable. We have nearly 10,000 applications pending and once this act is implemented, we can allow permit to these young people who will get an alternative form of employment," said Transport minister Suvendu Adhikari in his reply.
A bike taxi's permit for the entire state of Bengal for a period of five years will now be Rs 2,100, down from the existing Rs 11,500. There will be an annual fee of Rs 780.
In case of permit to run the two-wheeler in one to five regions, the permit fee will be Rs 1,100. The existing fee for such regional permit is a maximum of Rs 4,000 depending upon the number of regions.
According to Adhikari, the move will not affect the revenue of the department by any means, as more and more bike taxis will be operating in the state.
"There will be two kinds of number plates- for the non-commercial vehicles it will be back and white and for the commercial vehicles the number plates will be yellow and black. We will be issuing advisories on safety and security of the passengers. Additional helmet is mandatory and raincoats should also be kept for the pillion's use during rainy season. The speed should not exceed 20 km per hour," he added.
The travelling cost for a commuter will be reduced a lot if he/she avails a bike taxi instead of regular taxis or app-cabs.
"There are a number of narrow lanes and bylanes where a three or four-wheeler cannot reach. Bike taxis will be handy in such cases as well," a senior official of the Transport department said.
The existing one-time security deposit, which stands at Rs 1,000, has been waived completely.