AURANGABAD:
As a part of statewide protests against the proposed Road Transport and
Safety Bill, 2014, hundreds of employees of the Maharashtra State Road
Transport Corporation (MSRTC) on Thursday raised slogans against the
Union government. The employees are saying that the move is aimed at
promoting private players which would lead to unhealthy competition in
the field. The agitation was held under the banner of the Maharashtra
State Transport Kamgar Sanghatna in front of the regional office of the
MSRTC here in the city.
Similar agitations were also reported in other cities in the state besides a big protest rally was held in New Delhi on Thursday. "Representatives of various state transport corporations throughout the country participated in the rally," Rajendra Mote, secretary of MSRTC Kamgar Sanghatna, Aurangabad said.
"The move will also affect services of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST), taxies and other means of public transportation and thus they are also supporting the agitation," he said.
"The government is looking at allowing private bus operators to operate in areas from where the state transportation corporations are earning revenue. The private operators will take advantage of the move and concentrate on only profit-making routes and neglect routes that are economically non-feasible. However, the MSRTC is making no such discrimination," Mote said.
"As of now, the MSRTC is running bus services for passengers located in remote villages even if it is not generating revenue. This is possible only because the corporation is enjoying certain liberties. At present, the private bus operators cannot pick up passengers from various bus stops but the government is now planning to abolish the restriction," he said.
Besides, there are other provisions in the bill that would allow private operators to use depots and other facilities of the state transport corporations.
Mote further said that the MSRTC is not a profit-making organisation and thus it is offering various concessions to passengers but if the provisions listed in the bill are approved, these facilities would be affected.
He said that the government should not co-relate the services of the state corporation with those of private players. "The two entities have huge differences in their objectives and the government should treat them separately," Mote said.
The Union ministry of road transport and highways is looking forward at replacing the current Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Similar agitations were also reported in other cities in the state besides a big protest rally was held in New Delhi on Thursday. "Representatives of various state transport corporations throughout the country participated in the rally," Rajendra Mote, secretary of MSRTC Kamgar Sanghatna, Aurangabad said.
"The move will also affect services of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST), taxies and other means of public transportation and thus they are also supporting the agitation," he said.
"The government is looking at allowing private bus operators to operate in areas from where the state transportation corporations are earning revenue. The private operators will take advantage of the move and concentrate on only profit-making routes and neglect routes that are economically non-feasible. However, the MSRTC is making no such discrimination," Mote said.
"As of now, the MSRTC is running bus services for passengers located in remote villages even if it is not generating revenue. This is possible only because the corporation is enjoying certain liberties. At present, the private bus operators cannot pick up passengers from various bus stops but the government is now planning to abolish the restriction," he said.
Besides, there are other provisions in the bill that would allow private operators to use depots and other facilities of the state transport corporations.
Mote further said that the MSRTC is not a profit-making organisation and thus it is offering various concessions to passengers but if the provisions listed in the bill are approved, these facilities would be affected.
He said that the government should not co-relate the services of the state corporation with those of private players. "The two entities have huge differences in their objectives and the government should treat them separately," Mote said.
The Union ministry of road transport and highways is looking forward at replacing the current Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
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