The Vikram operators of the provisional State Capital are upset with the transport department’s assurance to the city bus association that action would be initiated against Vikrams if found transporting retail customers.
A delegation of the association of Vikram operators met the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) of Dehradun at his office on Monday. The delegation expressed its concern on the understanding reached between the association of city buses and the transport department a day earlier.
The Vikram operators warned that they would not tolerate any discrimination by the transport department. After the meeting, president of the association, Satish Sharma told The Pioneer that the RTO assured that no discrimination would be done against the Vikram operators. He said that the association would approach the court if the department imposes penalties on the Vikrams.
It is pertinent to mention here that demanding action on the Vikram operators, the association of city buses was on a strike. In order to persuade the bus operators to break the strike, the transport department reached an understanding with them on Sunday following which the strike was withdrawn.
The department assured the bus operators that penalties under Section 86 would be slapped if the contract carriage vehicles like Vikrams are found carrying retail customers on the city routes. Similar action would be initiated on overloading. While disposing of the penalties under Section 86 the department would also ask the contract carriage permit holder to submit an affidavit that the department would be free to suspend/ terminate the permit if the vehicle is again found carrying retail customers or charged with overloading. During the period of suspension of permit the contract carriage vehicle would be parked at the compound of Asha Rodi check post.
The bone of contention between city buses and Vikrams is the permit provided by the transport department to the Vikrams.
The Vikrams are provided the contract carriage permits and the association of city bus operators is demanding that the contract carriage vehicles like Vikrams should be stopped from carrying retail customers on city routes like stage carriage vehicles (city buses).
On the other hand the Vikram operators are of the stand that they are plying in the city much before the city buses were introduced and the department should convert their permits to stage carriage ones. There are more than 750 Vikrams on the roads of the city.