Citing rising fuel prices and increasing operational costs, private bus operators in Punjab on Wednesday asked the state government to waive the motor vehicle tax.
Addressing reporters here, Punjab Motor Union president Sandeep Sharma said fuel prices had increased by Rs 7.50 per litre in the last few days, which led to a sharp rise in operational expenses.
“We feel fuel prices may rise further in the coming days,” he said. Vehicle owners are required to pay motor vehicle tax regularly, with the amount decided on the basis of vehicle type, fuel and price. Different slabs apply to different categories of vehicles. Sandeep said around 7,500 private buses, including 5,000 mini buses, were operating across Punjab.
He urged the Bhagwant Mann-led government to waive the annual motor vehicle tax of Rs 87 crore paid by private bus operators. He said the private bus sector was facing severe financial stress because of the continuous increase in the prices of diesel, tyres, lubricants, spare parts, insurance premiums and toll taxes.
“The input cost has risen by over 35-40 per cent since 2022, while fares have not been revised proportionately," Sandeep claimed. He said the operators were not in a position to pay the motor vehicle tax and warned that if immediate corrective steps were not taken, they might not be able to continue operating buses.
The bus operators have also sought a personal meeting with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to request urgent measures to save what they called the “lifeline of Punjab’s transport.”
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