Even as the government has allowed resumption of inter district passenger bus services in the state from Thursday, public transport including low floor buses and magic vans are still off the roads in the state capital. Only autos and app based taxis are running in the city.
The drivers, cleaners and technicians of the low floor buses - operated by Bhopal City Link Limited (BCLL)- have refused to run their buses over their pending salaries. A delegation of low floor buses operators had gone to meet Chief Minister on Thursday in this regards, but since CM had other engagements they could not meet him.
The buses operators now have decided to stage a protest march to CM house on August 25 to raise their demands, they would also hand over a memorandum to the CM.
Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) which owns BCLL has to clear Rs 5 crore dues to Durgamba Motors- the bus operator. BNC has already paid Rs 25 lakh for disbursement of salaries to the bus staffers, however, Durgamba Motors did not clear our salaries taking plea that it has to clear the sue tax first, informed Aziz Khan, president of low floor buses operators. The drivers, cleaners and other staff of BCLL’s low floor buses are still waiting for their salaries, he added.
“We had gone to meet Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday but since he was busy in meetings, we could not meet him. We have decided to stage a protest march to CM House on August 25 and hand over a memorandum to the Chief Minister in this regard,” said Khan.
All India Public Transporters association general secretary Pravin Dholpure said, “ The main issue is waiving off of taxes. Bus operators are demanding a tax waiver. Chief Minister had announced for operation of inter district buses and inter states buses but the bus operators are demanding the state government to waive off taxes.”
Right now only autos and app based taxis are running in the city, even magic vans and low floor buses are not plying, said Dholpure. The administration should issue guidelines over the seating arrangement in auto rickshaws, magic vans and low floor buses, he added.
