RTA to give permits to private bus operators on 6 routes in Garhwal for first time
Thursday, 17 October 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Private buses will now be able to operate on six routes in the Garhwal region where only Roadways buses were allowed to operate till now. This proposal was approved in the meeting of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) chaired by the Garhwal commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey at the regional transport office in Dehradun on Wednesday. Pandey said that the RTA took this decision to ensure direct and accessible public transport on hilly routes in the Garhwal region. The Transport department will ensure the operation of private buses based on legal aspects and directions issued by the high court and the State Transport Authority (STA).
The RTO will soon start accepting applications under Section 70 of the Motor Vehicle Act for the designated routes as notified by the government, with further actions to be taken as per regulations. The applicants must be residents of Uttarakhand to be eligible to operate on these routes. Informing about other decisions taken in the meeting, the RTA secretary Sunil Sharma said that the department has also decided to issue permits for small vehicles that include 8 to 13-seater four-wheelers on various city routes in the Dehradun division to replace Vikrams. This decision was taken to promote public transport in urban areas and replace old buses and Vikrams to implement the State’s Clean Mobility Transition Policy. Sharma further said, “The department had offered subsidies last year to those operators who want to switch from old three-wheelers to clean fuelled vehicles. The interested operators must apply within five months to get the benefit of this rebate as it will end in March.
There are about 450 Vikrams in Dehradun and we have enough routes to offer them for operation if they switch to clean fuelled vehicles. Besides this, the department will also issue permits for 10 new three-wheeler routes in Dehradun and several routes will be expanded too.” He also informed that new bus permits have also been approved for routes such as Ballupur-Ghantaghar, Parade Ground-Survey Chowk and Ladpur-Raipur among others. In the outer areas of Dehradun, Haridwar and Roorkee, the department will provide permits for clean fuel-based vehicles as well. He stated that the department also aims to facilitate public transport in areas like Dudhli and Doon University by issuing permits under an open policy and the Dehradun district administration has been instructed to operate e-buses during peak hours as part of the Smart City initiative. “We have also directed the Mussoorie Nagar Palika Parishad to propose the classification of a 2.5 kilometre route for shuttle service to cater to tourists and residents in Mussoorie. In the meantime, temporary permits will be issued to ensure service availability,” he said.
Besides this, applications for small passenger vehicle permits will be accepted for better connectivity in Raipur and surrounding areas such as Bhaniyawala, Nathuwala, Balawala, Tunawala, Shamshergarh and Miyawala under the Raipur cluster as notified by the government.
