The president of the City Bus Union Vijay Vardhan Dandriyal has alleged that despite Uttarakhand High Court’s (HC) rulings which prohibit the Vikram and Tata Magic from picking up passengers, these vehicles in collusion with transport department officials are openly flouting the rules and regulations.

In a letter submitted to the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) on Monday, Dandriyal said the HC while hearing the petition of city bus owner Prashant Dobhal, which he filed against the contract carriage permit tempos (Vikrams and Tata Magic), had ordered on February 24 this year that the transport department should strictly ensure that the Vikrams and Tata Magic vehicles should follow the guidelines laid down in the contract carriage permit. He said that HC on May 25 this year had again ordered that the contract carriages should follow the section 70 of Motor Vehicles Act 1970 and should be prevented from picking up individual passengers on routes. Dandriyal said that Vikrams and Tata magic vehicles are openly flouting the rules which amount to contempt of court.

In his letter the President of City bus union has said that if the department fails to take immediate measures to stop Vikrams and Tata magic from picking individual passengers then the union would be forced to take the matter of HC.

The city bus owners and Vikram operators are at loggerheads on the issue of routes and picking up the passengers. The Vikrams are issued contract carriage permits which allow them to operate like taxis which can be booked while the Vikram operators are demanding that they should be given the stage permit contract and routes like city buses.