Maharashtra Government on Friday reconstituted a five-member committee to decide whether or not to provide permits to maxi cabs to enable transport of passengers in 8-12 seats van. The committee headed by a retired bureaucrat Ramnath Jha will review the policy with regard to issuing permits to maxi cabs in the state. The state home department on Friday has issued a government resolution.
Committee to study various aspects of plan
The committee will study the convenience of passengers, safety, vehicle tax rate, the possible effects of this plan on the revenues of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) which is already in deep financial distress following the strike by its employees and also because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its functioning. The committee will also look into issues relating to the number of permits and the area and routes on which operations of maxicabs will be allowed.
A committee was constituted in February 2021 under the chairmanship of Additional Director General of Police (Traffic). The committee was to study the maxi cabs policies and submit a report within two months. However, that committee was dissolved and a new committee was once again formed in 2022. After that the committee was reconstituted again.
The proposal was opposed by MSRTC
The government’s move is important as the permits have not been issued to maxi cabs until now due to a strong opposition by MSRTC which operates buses across the state and it has been the lifeline for many. Maxi cabs are 10-12 seater vans that provide shuttle taxi service to commuters, mostly running in the satellite cities and rural districts. Even though maxicabs are not officially permitted, a large number of them ply regularly.
A senior transport department officer told the Free Press Journal, ‘’The state government has been mulling giving an official status to maxi cabs since 2000 but it could not do so mainly due to strong opposition from MSRTC fearing that it may adversely impact their revenues. The five member committee will look into the routes to be earmarked for the maxi cabs so that it will not clash with the routes on which MSRTC buses are operating.’’
(If you have a story in and around Mumbai, you have our ears, be a citizen journalist and send us your story here. )
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
