Chandigarh, Oct 26 (IANS) Bus operators in Punjab have come up in arms against the private truck owners in the state, accusing them of “illegally interfering” in their business by carrying passengers in their vehicles.
“These trucks, which are mainly meant for carrying commercial goods, every year transport thousands of people from Punjab to a fair in Haryana illegally. We are trying to bring this issue before the authorities concerned and want a strict action against the violators,” Bhupinder Singh Walia, general secretary of Punjab Minibus Association, told IANS Monday.

There is an annual religious fair at Kapal Mochan town in Kurukshetra district in Haryana from Oct 26 to Nov 2. Thousands of Sikh and Hindu devotees, residing all across Punjab, throng this fair.

“Normally a minibus carries 32 passengers whereas a big bus carries 60 passengers, but these trucks accommodate at least 100 people. The truck owners do not pay any tax to government before entering the territory of Haryana,” Walia said.

He added that every year, nearly 200 buses of Punjab pay a special tax to obtain a permit to enter Haryana during the fair and the bus operators are experiencing a substantial loss in their business.

Besides, trucks become more prone to accidents due to overloading and because they illegally carry passengers the accident victims are not entitled to insurance, he added.

“We have also written to the chief minister and DTOs (district transport officers) to immediately intervene in this matter,” said Walia.