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Cab operators at crossroads
Highlights
Hundreds of cab and bus operators on Tuesday gheraoed Transport Commissioner Sandeep Kumar Sultania seeking immediate redressal of their demands, including reduction of road tax by Telangana government and abolition of border tax by AP government.
- Agitated operators gherao Transport Commissioner; seek immediate redressal of their problems
- eek slash in road and border tax
- Want TS govt to sign pact with Southern States on border tax
- Rue indifferent attitude of the government towards their long-pending problems
Hyderabad: Hundreds of cab and bus operators on Tuesday gheraoed Transport Commissioner Sandeep Kumar Sultania seeking immediate redressal of their demands, including reduction of road tax by Telangana government and abolition of border tax by AP government.
Led by Telangana State Cabs and Bus Operators Association (TSCBOA) President Syed Nizamuddin, the operators prevented the Transport Commissioner's vehicle from entering the RTA office at Khairatabad. They raised slogans against the State government for its failure to resolve the problems being faced by them.
They pointed out that no action had been taken despite several representations were made to the Transport Commissioner on the issue. Representations were also made to the Transport Minister M Mahender Reddy and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on April 30.
“The bus operators are facing immense hardship due to border tax by the AP government. We are being forced to pay border tax of Rs 330 per seat. Therefore, an operator is being forced to pay an extra tax of nearly Rs 8,000 for a 22-seater bus per single trip. This additional burden is badly affecting our business.
None of us is able to operate our buses to AP and at the same time we also cannot shift the additional burden on to our passengers,” said Syed Nizamuddin. Most of the contract carriage vehicles depend on tourism, mostly religious tourism, and nearly 5,000 buses are operated to destinations like Tirupati, Srisailam, Sri Kalahasti, Kanaka Durga Temple of Vijayawada and Mantralayam. Therefore, the entire travel and tourism industry will be badly affected if AP government does not withdraw the border tax with immediate effect, he said.
He further added that the rate of road tax from the bus operators of Telangana State should be slashed. The present tax of Rs 893 per seat was fixed when the State was united and it was meant for all 23 districts. Even after bifurcation, the Telangana government continued with the old rates and did not reduce them by dividing them into 10 districts. “If the tax is proportionately divided into 10 districts, instead of 23, then the operators of contract carriage vehicles will have to pay about only Rs 390 per seat,” he opined.
The TSCBOA also demanded that the Telangana government should join the Agreement of Southern States on border tax. “There is no border tax for contract carriage vehicles for entry into Tamil Nadu and Kerala as per an agreement the Southern States had with the erstwhile united AP government.
After the formation of Telangana, the agreement stands valid only for AP, while the operators from Telangana are being forced to pay the border tax. Being the new southern State, Telangana should have been automatically a part of the agreement. But it is not being honoured. Therefore, the Telangana government should join the agreement in order to help the travel industry,” said Syed Nizamuddin.
He added that the delay in resolving these issues has caused immense hardship and huge financial losses to the cabs and bus operators of Telangana State. “Today, most of us are not in a position to even repay EMIs of our vehicles. The entire industry is on the verge of collapse and besides financial losses to cab operators, further delay would lead to cut in thousands of direct and indirect jobs,” he said.
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