While the government is planning to hold yet another round of talks on Friday, operators in the city are hoping for an amicable solution to the crisis. The government has so far made it clear that any polluting vehicle, older than 15 years, found on the road after July 25 would be confiscated.

“We will definitely start protesting from July 25 if Friday’s round of talks do not go well. We have already told the transport department that its directive will affect the lives — directly or indirectly — of about one crore people. The transport department has also promised to look into it again,” said Sadhan Ghosh, president, Joint Bus Syndicate.

So far the government wants to replace these old buses by a fleet of new buses, including Volvos, but Ghosh said they were opposing the move. “Those Volvos cost around 70 lakh each and other buses that the government is keen to purchase cost around Rs 20 lakh each. We want the government to replace them by cheaper models so that ordinary people will be able to afford traveling in these buses,” said Ghosh.

Most of the bus and taxi operators have also claimed that they are not pleased with the finance schemes that have been put forward by the government so far. “Both the central and the state governments are investing around 50 per cent of the finance but the state government wants the permit to be in its name — we are against that,” said Ghosh.

“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.