Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar has taken a major step towards enforcing rules and providing equal opportunities to all in the transport sector. The government has ordered a comprehensive investigation of all composite permits (CP) issued under Rule 80-A of the Punjab Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. This action has been taken with the aim of resolving the issue of irregularities related to illegal clubbing and use of stage carriage permits in the transport sector.
Emphasizing the need to follow the rule of issuing a single combined permit with the same number of return journeys instead of grouping multiple CP permits, the Transport Minister gave clear instructions to the officials to de-club the permits violating Rule 80-A through due legal procedures and restore their genuine status.
Laljit Singh Bhullar said that the main objective of this action is to end the monopoly of big bus operators and to stop irregularities in the transport sector. He said, "Our aim is to end the unfair benefits being taken by some big transport operators through illegal clubbing of permits." He said that this step will create a more equal environment for small and medium bus operators, everyone will get equal opportunity to run their business in the transport sector without discrimination and public services can be improved further.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation arising out of illegal clubbing of permits, Bhullar said that the investigation has also revealed several cases where permits were not only clubbed illegally but were also issued outside the jurisdiction of the concerned authority. He said that the Transport Department has found several irregularities in this area, such as clubbing of ineligible permits for different routes, issuance of multiple composite permits by showing one company and illegal clubbing of additional return journey with another permit instead of surrendering the mandatory return journey.
Taking note of these violations, the Cabinet Minister has directed all Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Secretaries to thoroughly check CP permits in their jurisdictions, ensure strict compliance of Rule 80-A and include only eligible permits in the combined timetable by issuing suitable clarifications. He said that this action was extremely necessary to ensure smooth business operations for all bus operators and to ensure compliance of Punjab Transport Rules.
