Following the directives of the Central Government, all the passenger and school buses in the State will be monitored through Global Positioning System (GPS) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system. These systems will be installed in the buses within two-three months. Meanwhile, protesting the move of the State Government, the bus owners have demanded amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act.
Many a time information of the direction, condition, speed, driver, conductor, and the owner of hundreds of buses being operated in the State would not be available. After any incident or mishap people have to wander for the information about the name of the driver, bus number etc. Many a time, taking advantage of the situation, the bus operators escape after committing accidents. In view of that the Centre has issued instructions to the states to install GPS and GPRS system in passenger and school buses.
On the instruction of the Transport Commissioner NK Aswal, transport officers have conducted a meeting of bus owners in which, besides this system, discussions were held on the colour of buses, fare and luggage.
In the meeting, joint transport commissioner D Ravishankar, additional transport commissioner Hemkrishna Rathore and other officers, asked the bus owners to install GPS and GPRS system in their buses immediately, so that inspection of their buses could be made easy. The bus owners demanded to make amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act, as Rs 15,000 has to be spent for the installation of the system in the buses. Besides, the system should be provided through the transport office to avoid any inconvenience.
The transport officers said that they would seek guidelines in this regard from the Centre and would make amendment in the Act. It would take two-three months for the amendment of the Act, and after that the system would be installed. However, they asked the bus owners to install this system on their own expenses at present.
In the meeting held with Traffic Transport Mahasangh general secretary Haji Sharif Raja, Preetam Singh Garcha, Anurag Shukla, Bhavesh Dubey, Suryakant Shukla, Prakash Deshlahara, Anwar Ali, Akash Gill, Anand Yadav, Ghanshyam Agrawal and other bus owners, discussions were held on the colour of buses.
It was said that even after the instructions of the transport minister, colours of the buses have not been changed. On this, the bus owners said that colour of 40 per cent buses has been changed. Along with fitness and maintenance, colour of other buses would also be changed. As per the instructions of the government, the colour of ordinary buses will be red, deluxe buses will be yellow and the colour of express buses will be blue.
Expressing their anger on the increase of prices of petrol-diesel every now and then and non-increase of bus fare, the bus owners demanded a permanent policy, so that along with the increase of prices of petrol and diesel, the fare could also be hiked. They have also opposed the challan on luggage.
Transport officers said that efforts would be made for a permanent policy regarding the fare. Passenger could take luggage up to 40 kg. More than that would be challaned. The permit of the bus could also be suspended.