Four RTAs are not complying with the order on illegal clubbing of bus permits

Regional transport authorities in Patiala, Jalandhar, Ferozepur and Bathinda have failed to follow instructions to correct illegally clubbed permits for stage coach buses.

Citing the judgments of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the State Transport Commissioner (STC) has now sought a report on the action taken by the RTAs within a week.

After finding that the Punjab Regional Transport Authorities (RTAs) in Patiala, Jalandhar, Ferozepur and Bathinda were illegally allowing transporters to travel a greater distance than permitted, the state Transport Commissioner last month directed the authorities to cancel the wrongly clubbed transport permits correct.

This illegal practice caused losses to state finances and benefited several private carriers, including those associated with political leaders. Instead of issuing a composite permit, a number of permits have been combined into one whole.

Sources said the RTAs had failed to provide the report despite Transport Minister Laljit Bhullar recently saying the department had observed irregularities.

JS Grewal, chairman of the Small Scale Bus Operators Association, said: “The nexus between the RTAs and the powerful transport mafia runs deep in the Transport Department. There are more than 600 such illegally clubbed permits. Even the department’s new timetable has not corrected the illegally clubbed permits. No action will be taken against illegal extensions.”

Influential carriers generally purchase permits from small operators and then have them transferred in their names from the RTAs. The RTA’s club grants these permits illegally. For example, clubbing of bus permits for Patiala-Sirhind, Sirhind-Khanna, Khanna-Ludhiana and Ludhiana-Jalandhar routes is illegal.