The Punjab government Tuesday said it has amended the Punjab Transport Scheme-2018, in a bid to end the ‘monopoly’ enjoyed by a few families in the inter-state private bus transport sector and to boost the public exchequer.
Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar in a statement said the Punjab Transport Scheme-2018 was formulated by the erstwhile Congress government to give undue benefits to the Badal family and other ‘private bus mafias’.
The Badal (Parkash Singh Badal) family during its government’s two tenures from 2007 to 2017, created various schemes to fulfill their personal interests, in which the Congress government also helped the Badals in running their transport businesses smoothly, including one of inter-state movement of their AC buses to Chandigarh,” said Bhullar.
After the amendment of Serial No. B in Clause No. 3 of the Scheme, now only state transport undertaking buses can enter Chandigarh. The insertion titled ‘Inter-State Route’ in the Gazette notification reads, “With the seating capacity of 39 or more, with the further condition that air-conditioned stage carriages shall be run only by the State Transport Undertakings…”
Bhullar asserted that the Bhagwant Mann-led government will not allow any loss to the state exchequer to fulfill the vested interests of the Badals and their associates.
