The HP Private Bus Operators' Union has strongly condemned the state government's proposal to hike commercial vehicle registration and route permit fees, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the draft notification.
Union Demands Revocation of Draft Notification
Addressing mediapersons in Una, the union's state president, Rajesh Parashar, said, "Our union demands the revocation of the draft notification." He highlighted that there are approximately 9,000 private buses operating in the state, compared to nearly 3,000 state-owned buses, providing transport services to passengers as well as school and college students.
Fuel Price Increases Over Three Years
Parashar noted that when the present Congress government came to power, it increased the diesel price by Rs 3 per litre. A similar hike was imposed after natural disasters struck the state. He further said that following the Iran crisis, diesel prices had risen by another Rs 8 per litre, taking the total increase over the past three years to Rs 14 per litre.
Losses on Diesel Expenses
Despite the steep rise in fuel costs, bus fares had not been revised proportionately, Parashar claimed. He said private operators were incurring losses of Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000 per day on diesel expenses alone. "Private bus operators are service providers, not a welfare organisation like the government," he added.
Subsidy Demands and Meeting with Union Minister
Parashar said the union did not want to pass the burden of higher fuel prices on to passengers. Instead, it had urged the state government to provide subsidies on diesel, road tax and the GST to offset the impact of rising fuel costs. He also mentioned that a delegation from Himachal Pradesh would attend a meeting with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during an event on July 9 to discuss issues being faced by bus operators.
