Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Irate by the action of Regional Transport Office against the buses for not depositing due tax, bus operator association has appealed to the government to waive off the tax of the time when lockdown was imposed due to the second wave of COVID-19.
State president of Prime Route Bus Owners Association Govind Sharma said that the government should take immediate action to waive off the tax or the bus operators won’t have any option but to shut the business.
“The government had put a lockdown in the name of ‘Corona Curfew’ and shut the institutions, shops, busses and everything due to the spread of second wave of Covid-19. Relaxation was given to some people after two months but bus operations were halted from April to July. Government had waived off the tax of the period of first lockdown i.e. 165 days and we demand the same relief again,” Sharma said.
He said that RTO officials in Indore are seizing buses and pressurizing us to give tax of the period when bus operation was not allowed.
“Diesel price is also increasing continuously but not the fare. About 40 percent of buses are still not running due to lack of passengers. Business is brutally hit due to Covid and curbs imposed by administration to control it. Many bus operators are in depression and suicidal thoughts are developing in them,” Sharma said, appealing to the government to take immediate action to provide relief or buses would go off roads.
