Bus operators to intensify protest
The Telangana State Cabs and Bus Operators Association (TSCBOA) has decided to intensify its protest against the imposition of Border Tax on contract carriage vehicles by Government of Andhra Pradesh.
In its meeting held at GPL Garden near Karman Ghat on Saturday, the bus operators also decided to pressurise the Telangana Government to reduce the Road Tax by more than half. Speaking to media persons after the Association's meeting, TSCBOA president Syed Nizamuddin said that the bus operators would hold protest meetings in different parts of the city for a month before taking the agitation to the next level. Beginning from May 9, the protest meetings will be held no every Saturday at Afzalgunj, Vidya Nagar, Kukatpally and Hitech City.
"If both AP and Telangana Governments remain inert to our demands, then we will approach Governor ESL Narasimhan seeking his intervention to resolve the issue. If all our efforts prove futile, then the bus operators would not pay Road Tax for the next quarter," announced Syed Nizamuddin. Stating that the Telangana bus operators are being forced to pay Border Tax of Rs 330 per seat or nearly Rs 8,000 for a 22-seater bus per single trip to AP Government, he said that the entire industry would collapse if this continues for a few more months.
Similarly, the TSCBOA President said that the Telangana Government must reduce the Road Tax as the present slab of Rs 893 per seat was fixed during the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh. "Rs 893 per seat was meant for all 23 districts. With Telangana being a separate State, the State Government should reduce it proportionately," he demanded.
Syed Nizamuddin also informed that the TSCBOA has made separate representations to Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, N Chandrababu Naidu and K Chandrashekar Rao respectively, requesting them to consider the demands of bus operators. "Besides causing heavy losses to the bus operators of Telangana, the Border Tax would smash the Tourism sector of Andhra Pradesh as everyday nearly 5,000 buses are operated to destinations like Tirupati, Srisailam, Sri Kalahasti, Kanaka Durga Temple of Vijayawada and Mantralayam. Likewise, the continuation of Road Tax of Rs 893 per seat would put the very survival of bus operators at stake," he said.
Earlier in the meeting, the bus operators have complained of heavy losses that each of them has been incurring due to new Border Tax by AP Government and old Road Tax by TS Government. A few of them even claimed that they paid taxes for the last quarter ended March 31, 2015, by borrowing money on high interest rates.
TSCBOA leaders and major operators including Nabeel Hussain, Sanjeev Reddy, Venkatesh Goud, Srinivas Yadav, Md Maozam and others addressed the meeting.
News Posted: 3 May, 2015
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