Private bus operators demand exclusion of traffic fines as a prerequisite for obtaining PUCC

Kolkata: The private bus operators have demanded for the exclusion of traffic fines as a prerequisite for the obtaining of Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC). They sent a letter to the Transport department for the consideration of the same on Tuesday.

According to a notification issued by the department on October 11, all Auto Emission Testing Centres (AETC) were directed to carry out the requisite test but issue the certificate only after ensuring that all pending government dues such as tax, fine, penalty and pending e-challan, amongst others have been cleared.

In the same notice, it was stated that it has come to the department’s notice that a considerable number of tax defaulting vehicles are plying on roads with valid PUCC thereby causing loss of government revenue.

A private bus operator said that they do not have problems with the department restricting certificates for tax default but have problem with traffic fines in the form of e-challans being included as one of the requisites.

They feel that since traffic fines can be contended by the owners in court or Lok Adalat, making the clearance of them to obtain PUCC is uncalled for.

“At a time when buses will be reduced by 2000 in the coming year due to the 15-year rule, a step like this will cause further harm to the transport sector. We want more cooperation from the government,” the general secretary of City Suburban Bus Service Titu Saha said.

The general secretary of All Bengal Bus Minibus Samannay Samity Rahul Chatterjee said that they received the notification recently and have written to the department expressing their disapproval of the notice.