Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 2 (PTI) A government-appointed committee has recommended declaring private bus services an industry and extending their operational life from 22 to 25 years to arrest the sector’s decline in Keralam.
The five-member committee, headed by former DGP K Padmakumar, submitted its report to the state government on Wednesday, recommending a slew of measures to address the financial difficulties faced by private bus operators.
The number of private buses in the state has been steadily declining, with the growing use of private vehicles affecting their profitability.
The committee was constituted following complaints from private bus operators about revenue losses and was tasked with studying the problems faced by the sector and suggesting measures to sustain private bus services.
The recommendations call for extending the operational life of private buses, allowing operators to pay vehicle tax monthly instead of once every three months, and extending MSME benefits to the sector if it is declared an industry.
Private stage carriage operators had earlier opposed the Priyadarshini bus service introduced by the Congress-led UDF government, which offered free travel to women passengers, alleging that it would cause revenue losses.
“If private bus services are declared an industry, they can receive all government benefits available to MSMEs. It would also enable them to avail themselves of input tax credits and loans,” Padmakumar said at a press conference.
He said private bus owners had been demanding the industry status for a long time and the committee found the demand reasonable.
The committee also recommended allowing bus owners to pay vehicle tax monthly instead of every three months.
“Many complained that paying a large amount as tax every three months put them under additional financial strain. We have recommended this in the report, and now the government has to decide on it,” he said.
Padmakumar said the government would have to amend the Motor Vehicles Rules to extend the operational life of private buses from 22 years to 25 years. He said making such an amendment was within the state government’s powers.
The committee recommended allowing the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation to hire private buses on a wet-lease basis to operate as Priyadarshini services. This should be done in a 3:1 ratio, Padmakumar said.
He said the government could fix a lease amount, with KSRTC operating the buses and allowing private owners to reduce their losses.
Another major recommendation is to allow private bus operators to purchase diesel from KSRTC fuel pumps, where oil companies supply fuel at dealer rates.
The committee recommended providing insurance cover to private buses through the state insurance company.
The committee further recommended allowing advertisements on private buses at prescribed rates without compromising safety and simplifying the process through an online system.
It suggested simplifying the procedure for obtaining permission to rent out private buses for other programmes during holidays.
Keralam Transport Minister C P John, who also took part in the press conference, said most of the committee’s recommendations appeared acceptable.
A decision would be taken after examining the details and implications of implementing the recommendations, he said. PTI KPK TGB SSK
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