E-Paper
Well-oiled system: How transport mafia keeps wheels of unauthorised bus business going
The illegal operation of private buses in Uttar Pradesh is a grave risk to passenger safety, causing revenue loss to the state exchequer.
The bus-tanker collision in Unnao has turned the spotlight on the rampant illegal operation of private buses in Uttar Pradesh, revealing a deeply entrenched, organised system of violations that put the safety of passengers at grave risk.
Thousands of private buses operating between Delhi and Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh via the Yamuna and Agra-Lucknow expressways in Uttar Pradesh and on various routes within U.P. flout permit regulations. They ply as stage carriages despite holding only contract (tourist) permits, apart from violating all other safety standards, often resulting in tragic mishaps.
The illegal practice, according to people in the know of things, not only endangers passenger safety but also eats into the UP State Road Transport Corporation’s (UPSRTC) revenue to the extent of at least ₹3-4 crore a month, besides causing tax loss to the state exchequer by illegally making operations parallel to UPSRTC buses on the nationalized routes.
“Actually, there is a huge and prosperous system of thousands of illegally plying transport, owned and run by powerful people in the state, as even chief minister Yogi Adityanath last year addressed them as ‘transport mafia,” said a senior UPSRTC official, who did not wish to be named.
That fact that these buses operate illegally in terms of violation of the permit conditions is not denied even by transport minister Daya Shankar Singh who himself was seen checking such buses in eastern U.P. on Thursday.
“A large number of inter-state private buses operate via U.P. at night to evade action,” he said, adding, “These buses get tourist permits but operate as stage carriage in violation of rules.”
He said such buses also had people (termed as passers) who tipped them of about the presence of RTO on the road.
The transport mafia are believed to blessed by the entire system and they comfortably operate a tattered fleet with untrained / fatigued / low paid crew and undercut ticket prices to beat competition and allure price-sensitive passengers.
“In fact, it is a pack of wolves feeding on hapless public who, in view of small gains, patronize them. The system is so well oiled and greased that they conveniently operate multistate services with scant documents and can yet manage and get way with it,” the official said.
An investigation by the HT further revealed that a principal secretary, transport, sometime back asked UPSRTC to submit a region-wise survey with photo / video evidence, where possible, to give a number to the magnitude of such illegal transport operations.
A list with soft copies of evidence was provided and the number exceeds 7,500 illegal buses in the state. The number could actually be higher since it was just a survey and buses may have been missed, including those from other states.
The authorities concerned were also provided prints of various ticket booking portals, which enlist most of such services with operators’ name and get them passenger reservation. The question remained as to what permit conditions allowed them to conveniently book stage carriage tickets on portals blatantly. But nothing followed.
It is pointed out that inter-state private buses remained parked near the ISBT in Delhi, from where they operate to various states, many via UP. And they do it with impunity.
In Lucknow, such buses are conspicuously stationed near Awadh Hospital, complete with air-conditioned offices and online booking facilities for passengers. Auto and e-rickshaws drivers work as touts for private buses and lure passengers for them from the nearby UPSRTC ‘ Alambagh bus terminal.
The root cause as to why the practice of illegal bus operations continues even in the modern times, according to officials dealing with the issue, is due to a lack of will on the part of those who matter.
“The system of plying illegal transport and creating a system of unauthorised clandestine operations is very profitable to operators and takes good care of the entire system from administration, police to politicians,” a transport department official said.
Consequently, after such major mishaps formalities of announcing compensation, formation of probe committees are done. The probes usually blame the road conditions, weather, black spots, driver the vehicle condition and compliance and sometimes the owner / operator. In the Unnao accident also, the inquiry committee blamed the bus driver (who was killed in the collision) for the accident.
“If it is not due to lack will, why we can’t we implement a system in this digital age, where vehicle / permit / fitness - operations related data (on transport department portal handled by NIC GOI) integrates with Toll Plazas (also on NIC portal through NHAI / UPEIDA but under MoRTH GOI) and any non-compliant vehicle is intercepted at the 1st toll. Would this be so difficult or costly that human lives seem cheaper,” asked a transport department official.
Following chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s tough stand in view of the Unnao bus-tanker accident the transport department did announce a month-long state-wide drive against buses operating illegally in the state.
This is, however, not the first time that a warning has been issued and a drive launched.
Several road accidents involving such buses were reported in the last two-three years. Each time, similar announcements were made without achieving anything concrete. Will things be any different this time?
The transport minister said the government had taken the Unnao bus accident very seriously.
“We will take all steps to curb the illegal bus operations in the state and breaking the nexus,” he said.
