PANAJI
The Centre's vehicle scrapping policy has found opposition in Goa's bus operators who have announced organising protests from Monday against the move stated in the Union budget earlier last month.
"Scrapping a bus every 15 years will severely impact our business. We will not be able to operate buses with such conditions, and earn a decent living," the All Goa private Bus owners Association Sudeep Tamhankar said at a press conference on Saturday.
The Central government's vehicle scrapping policy, which was announced when Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget in February, proposes scrapping of public transport vehicles in 15 years and also requires a pollution test midway after eight years.
Tamhankar also said that with diesel prices increasing regularly and no seeming control of the Central government on fuel prices, operating costs have increased which has hit their profits.
Tamhankar said private bus operators will begin a series of protests against the Goa Transport Department to put across their demands and will approach Union Minister of State for Defence and North Goa MP Shripad Naik to organise a meeting with Union Minister for Roads, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
The association hopes to put across their demand to the Centre to provide relaxation to private bus operators from vehicle scrapping policy.
