Transport body claims Games panel ignoring stakeholders

The tourist transport sector has lashed out at the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee for not using their services for the sporting event,despite the group being a major stakeholder in the tourism sector.

The tourist transport sector has lashed out at the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) for not using their services for the sporting event,despite the group being a major stakeholder in the tourism sector.

Members of the Indian Tourist Transporters Association (ITTA),consisting of transporters registered with the Ministry of Tourism,complained on Tuesday about how the OC was wasting money in tie-ups with the Tata Motors to provide transportation,despite several requests from the ITTA to choose them. With their expertise,they could have managed the transportation needs much better,they insisted.

We are registered service providers with the Union ministry,while Tata Motors is a vehicle manufacturer. It has no experience in transportation while we have been working in this field for decades. For the last two years,we have been requesting them (the OC) to tie up with us but to no avail, said ITTA president Sarab Jit Singh.

It was reported recently that Tata Motors is facing a shortage of 2,000 drivers,which the ITTA members claimed may have been avoided handed they been handed the responsibility. We have a fleet of 10,000 cars in the National Capital Region alone. In our proposal we had said we will invest our own money in getting the kind of cars OC prefers, added Sarab Jit. The Ministry of Tourism had also trained 750 new drivers,whose services will now not be used,ITTA members said.

The OC is paying each driver Rs 15,000 as against the normal rate of Rs 6,000,which is a complete waste of money, Singh added.

Rajesh Loomba,chairman,Conference Committee of ITTA,said despite the claim that Tata Motors will provide free services,it will be charging rentals and fuel costs. For the same cost,we would have provided a much better service. The Games is being touted as the best thing to happen for tourism,but the OC seems keen on ignoring the stakeholders, he said.

The ITTA also requested the government for a barrier-free transport in the NCR.

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Rs 15,000
Amount OC is paying each driver. ITTA says the normal rate is just Rs 6,000

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