The Regional Transport Authority (RTA) at its meeting here on Wednesday approved permits to 40 auto-rickshaws in Rishikesh town. The meeting was convened at a short notice by RTA chairman and Garhwal Commissioner C S Napalchiyal. The issue of permits to the auto-rickshaws of Rishikesh was pending and it was disposed off by the authority on priority. The issue of granting auto permits in Haridwar town was also on the agenda of the meeting.
The RTA chairman asked the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) of Dehradun to submit his report on the issue. In the meeting a delegation of City bus association of Dehradun expressed its strong opposition to the proposal to grant the stage carriage permit to Tata Magic operators in Dehradun. On the objection of the association the RTA constituted a committee. This committee would examine the legal aspects in the issue of stage carriage permits to Tata Magics. The meeting was attended by RTO of Dehradun Dinesh Chandra Pathoi and Assistant Regional Transport Officers (ARTO).
The President of City bus association Vijay Vardhan Dandariyal said that the provisions of motor vehicles act 1988 and state rules 2011 clearly state that the stage carriage permit can be handed over to only transport vehicles and the vehicles like Motor cab, Maxi cab, Omni bus and Private service vehicles are not entitled for the stage carriage permits.
In his objection Dandariyal cited many court rulings regarding grant of stage carriage permits. Dandariyal said that the senior officials of the transport department should be held accountable as they issue permits against the rules and when such permits are turned down by courts the poor vehicle owners face financial losses due to the misdeeds of the officers.
On the issue of grant of stage carriage permits to contract carriage vehicles like Vikrams, Tata Magic and other such vehicles different transport associations are at loggerheads for long. The city bus union is of the view that the contract carriages should be prevented from picking up individual costumers on specific routes and should only ply on Rs 8 per kms. The association of the contract carriages is demanding that a permit of stage carriage should be granted to them in view of their utility in the transport system of cities.