Transport department acts against 75 buses picking private passengers outside ISBT

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun

The Transport department took action against 75 private buses for picking up and dropping passengers outside the ISBT and nearby areas in Dehradun against the law. Such action will continue in coming days considering the Deepawali festival when footfall increases manifold.

The regional transport officer (Enforcement and Road Safety) of Dehradun division Anita Chamola said that the department started a checking drive on Sunday to address traffic congestion and unauthorised operations of private buses. The drive was conducted in two shifts daily, from 5 AM to 9 AM and from 7 PM to 11 PM. Enforcement teams from Dehradun, Vikasnagar, Rishikesh, Haridwar and Roorkee, along with the dynamic task force, interceptor unit and bike squad participated in the operation.

She informed that 12 teams comprising assistant divisional transport officers, transport tax officers and transport inspectors were part of the campaign. During the inspection, officials found that several private buses were picking passengers from outside the main ISBT routes and causing traffic obstruction. It was also found that many private buses were booking passengers through online platforms without obtaining an aggregator license. Challans were issued to such buses and the respective aggregators, Chamola said.

The department also took action against buses operating without permits, those with unpaid taxes, those violating permit conditions, and those not carrying passenger lists. She stated that as per the Uttarakhand On-Demand (IT-Based) Contract Carriage Rules, 2024, aggregators operating through online platforms must obtain a license from the Uttarakhand Transport Department. Currently, only Ola, Uber, and Rapido hold valid aggregator licenses in the State, she added. During the campaign on routes around ISBT, Turner Road, and Haridwar Bypass, officials issued challans to 75 buses and seized 21 of them.

One Uttarakhand Roadways bus was also seized after its permit was found to have expired in May 2024. Transport Corporation officials have been instructed to ensure that all vehicle documents remain valid.