Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MS)

Udupi, May 10: People who are dependent on private bus operation are in distress ever since public transport was prohibited owing to lockdown over coronavirus outbreak. Even though the government has allowed bus operation in green zones like Udupi, there are seveal challenges facing the bus owners. They have placed several demands in front of the government, but to no avail as of now.

More than 8,000 private buses operate throughout the state. In undivided district of Dakshina Kannada itself there are 2,500 buses. Depending on the seating capacity, each bus owner has to pay an advance road tax of about Rs 50,000 every three months. The government gets Rs 300 crore by way of tax from private bus owners once every three months.

File Photo

Nearly 70% of the buses have been surrendered to RTO along with the original documents as the owners could not pay the road tax. Those owners who do not know about surrender are struggling to pay the remaining amount.

Though the buses are not operating, a small salary is being paid to drivers, conductors and cleaners. The owners are paying this to the employees.

As the buses are not operating for the past two months, many technical difficulties have cropped up in vehicles. Bus owners say that at least Rs 30,000 is required for each bus to make it fit to run again on the roads.

The government has given the go-ahead to start bus service in green zone areas of the state. However, the owners of private buses are not ready to start operations as per the guidelines of the government. The owners opine that the implementation of conditions of government like only 50% of allotted passengers should be taken in every trip, no increase in journey fare, sanitization of the buses and providing masks to the passengers are difficult to abide with.

The owners demand that the journey fare should be increased by at least 50% and insurance period should be extended by two months. They alslo demand rebate in toll gate fee for at least three months. But the government is not agreeing to all the demands.

It is said that in the meeting that was held with the transport commissioner at Bengaluru on Friday instructions were given to revised fare that will be applicable for three months. However, the private bus owners are waiting for another week for the lockdown to open so that they can start operations.

Rajaverma Ballal, owner of Canara Bus Owners' Association says, "It is not possible to run buses as per the rules set by the government. We will start operation only if our demands are met. Otherwise the buses will play only after the lockdown is lifted."

Sadananda Chatra, a private bus owners says, "Even if the government agrees to our demands, it is not possible to get all buses on road. Even if the fare is hiked by 50% it is not possible to run the buses in the timings like before. Till the rule of just 50% passenger capacity is there, it is not possible to start operations."