TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The private bus operators have demanded Rs 3 per kilometer subsidy as compensation for losses incurred by them with the implementation of concessional pass system by Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC).
Interestingly, Directorate of Transport has already drafted the proposal of providing subsidy of upto Rs 3 per km, which is pending with government since August.
Director of Transport Arun Dessai said that in a bid to make the public transport system financially viable, a proposal to provide per kilometer subsidy is being drafted and moved for government approval. Desai stated the concessional pass system would not pay wonders to private operators.
Addressing press conference, on Thursday morning, All Goa Private Bus Owners Association (AGPBOA) general secretary Sudip Tamhankar demanded that government should either scrap concessional pass system or implement the same for bus owners along with providing compensation towards the loss.
The bus operators have claimed a loss of around 60 percent to their business per day due to KTCL pass scheme, launched in January, this year. Tamhankar said that bus operators have filed a petition in the High Court demanding scrapping of pass system or implementation of the same for private bus operators. The petition would come up for submission on November 20, he said.
AGPBOA continued their opposition to the government proposal, where all private buses would be hired on contract bases by government run KTC. As per the proposal, KTC will provide conductors whereas the owners of the buses will provide the driver, diesel, and maintenance. The conductors would be provided with Electronic Ticketing machines (ETM) and a subsidy upto Rs 32 per kilometers per day per bus would be provided.
“This is a ploy to finish the private bus industry,” Tamhankar said, raising doubts about government credibility in bringing their business into profit, considering the fact that KTC has been in financial crisis since decades.
This is a ploy to finish the private bus industry,” Tamhankar said, raising doubts about government credibility in bringing their business into profit
