Team Herald
PANJIM: The All Goa Private Bus Owners Association (AGPBOA) has opposed the revamped ‘Mhaji Bus’ Scheme notified by the State government.
AGPBOA General Secretary Sudip Tamankar said, “This scheme is jumla by the government. We have no faith in what the government has notified because it is yet to clear our pending subsidies. We are demanding a subsidy of Rs 34 per kilometre operated and not Rs 3, because the government was paying Rs 34 per kilometre to private bus operators on the Margao-Canacona route when they opted for the pilot ‘Mhaji Bus’ scheme.”
“In the revised scheme, the government has notified the annual insurance premium at Rs 30,000, but it has yet to reimburse the Rs 20,000 insurance premium since 2017. Besides Rs 2.5 lakh subsidy for the replacement of buses more than 15 years old is pending, and the government has now notified a subsidy of Rs 10 lakh. The government should stop fooling bus operators and first clear the pending subsidies. Only then will we decide on the revamped scheme,” Tamankar said.
The State government notified the revamped ‘Mhaji Bus’ Scheme 2025, replacing its pilot version from May 16. Under the revised scheme, eligible private bus operators will receive a subsidy of Rs 3 per kilometre operated. The scheme also includes a 50 per cent reimbursement of the annual insurance premium, capped at Rs 30,000. Additionally, operators replacing buses that are 15 years old or more with new buses (minimum seating capacity of 27) will receive financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh. Operators will retain the full fare revenue collected from passengers and are not required to deposit any amount with KTCL, the notification stated.
Private bus operators opting for the scheme will be required to install and maintain a functional Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) and Automatic Ticketing Machine (ATM) in the bus for fare collection.