“So far the government has agreed to give us subsidy and we are even supposed to get the bank loans, but the banks have not been helpful till now. Even the RTOs have not given us replacement papers without which we cannot get a loan from the banks. Unless the government comes to a decision we will go on an indefinite strike or we will commit suicide as we will lose our livelihood,” said Tarakeswar Sharma, who drives a 15-year-old taxi.

Old vehicles can ply outside metropolitan limits, govt tells HC
Fifteen-year-old public vehicles would be allowed to ply outside the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA), Advocate General Bolai Roy informed in the Calcutta High Court today during a hearing on old vehicles. Justifying the notification issued by the transport department on May 24, 2005, which banned 15-year-old public vehicles, Roy said it had imposed restrictions on public transport plying in the KMA area only.

Roy argued that the state government had issued the notification under Section 88A of the West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rule after amending it which it is empowered to do and so the notification was legally valid. The advocate general said the May 24, 2005 notification had only imposed restrictions on the issue of permit to the 15-year-old public transport vehicles like bus, minibus, taxi and trucks for plying in the KMA area in regard to environmental issues.

The Bengal Bus Syndicate had challenged the notification, saying the state government was not legally empowered to amend the West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rule under West Bengal Motor Vehicles Act. So, the notification under Section 88A of the Motor Vehicles Rule was illegal. The case will come up for hearing on Friday.