Aimed at the rapid economic development of the country as well as to restrict the use of personalized vehicles which was the main cause of congestion on the roads as well as to encourage the long distance inter-state transport of passengers and goods between the States of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, a meeting to finalize/revise the Reciprocal Transport Agreement between these two reciprocating States was held today at Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh. While the representatives of Punjab State were represented by their Transport Secretary Shri Dipinder Singh, IAS, the representative of the State of Himachal Pradesh were represented by Shri Sanjay Sharma, HPAS, Addl. Commissioner Transport-cum-Secretary, STA, HP. The meeting, among others, was also attended by the State Transport Commissioner, Punjab, Shri Harmail Singh Sra, Director State Transport Punjab Shri Ashwani Kumar, IAS, Managing Director, PRTC Shri Ravinder Singh, IAS and the Managing Director, HRTC, Simla, Shri Ashok Tiwari, IPS, Shri Raghubir Chaudhary, CGM, HRTC.
Shri Dipinder Singh, Secretary Transport said that As per the previous Reciprocal Transport Agreement dated 4.10.2001 which was in vogue till date between the two States, the STUs and Private operators of both the States were allowed to cover 44000.0 Kim in each other territory. However, as per the new Agreement which has been signed today on 19.8.2016, while the State Transport Undertakings (Punjab Roadways. PUNBUS and PRTC ) and the Private operators of Punjab State shall be covering mileage of 58432.0 Km in the State of Himachal Pradesh, the HRTC and the Private operators of Himachal Pradesh shall be authorized to cover mileage to the tune of 63826.5 Km in the State of Punjab. In order to make the Reciprocal Agreement a grand success, the Transport Secretaries of both the respective States assured of their full help.