Gear up for omnibus trip disruption as Tamil Nadu to start seizing private buses registered elsewhere
Only 105 out of the 905 omnibuses have registered with the local Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) and 800 omnibuses continuing their operation as unauthorised stage carriers, the commissioner said in a statement.
Omni Buses (Manivasagan N)
CHENNAI: Passengers who have booked tickets on omnibuses for the coming days are likely to experience disruption in their plans after the State Transport Department decided to impound other State-registered all-India tourist permit omnibuses that are operated in Tamil Nadu like stage carriers, causing revenue loss to the government.
Advising the people against travelling on such buses, the State Transport Commissioner said in his order that if there are passengers on board when the officials seize these buses from Tuesday, they would be accommodated in other buses.
The crackdown came after only 105 out of 905 omnibuses registering with the local Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) despite granting them an extension to do so. The remaining 800 buses are continuing to be operated as unauthorised stage carriers, the Commissioner said in a statement.
Such illegal operation was causing an annual revenue loss of Rs 34.56 crore for the government, while also disrupting the services of the SETC and the omnibuses registered in the State by offering tickets on low fares.
Stating that this cannot be allowed anymore, the official said that the government has decided to initiate criminal action after probing how the owners got the omnibuses registered in other states and obtained permits giving fake documents.
He said that the order had been issued to the RTOs and Motor Vehicle Inspectors (MVIs) to detain other State-registered omnibuses, which would be implemented from Tuesday. Allaying fears that it could inconvenience passengers, the official said even after such buses are detained, as many as 1,535 omnibuses registered in the State would continue their operations as usual.
Meanwhile, after a consultation meeting held by omnibus owners at Koyambedu, All Omni Bus Owners' Association president A Anbalagan said it was decided to operate only the Tamil Nadu-registered omnibuses in the state and suspend the operation of the other State-registered omnibuses.
"It takes at least a month to register an omnibus in the State. We request to the State government to provide all necessary facilities for immediate re-registration of omnibuses," he said.
