As part of its clampdown on carterlisation by transporters, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has given the go-ahead to the use of tractor-trolleys for lifting of food grains and other agriculture produce from the Mandis.Following the Chief Minister’s approval, the Department of Transport is all set to notify the guidelines and procedure for grant of permit/license to tractor-trolleys, and their registration. The decision has been taken to prevent any attempt by transporters to engage in cartelization in the ongoing Rabi season, according to an official spokesperson, who pointed out that the new rates worked out by this government with transporters for lifting of food grains had yielded annual savings of Rs 150 crore. Even with an annual average increase of just 5-7 per cent, this indicated that the previous government had caused losses to be tune of Rs. 1250 crore for the state exchequer on this account alone, he added.The spokesperson further said that there was no legal bar on the use of tractor-trolleys as good transport vehicles.However, the owners were required to register their tractor-trolleys if they intended to transport them commercially, as per notification no. S.O. 451(E) dated 19-6-1992 Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India under sub section (4) of Section 41 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.
The Department has decided to authorize RTAs in the sub-divisions where their offices are located and SDO (Civil)-cum-SDM in rest of the Sub Divisions to grant permit to Tractor-Trolley for the limited purpose of carriage of food grains, from any Mandi Yard/Purchase Centre to a delivery point not farther than 25 km. Of this, a maximum of 12 km can be on a state highway/national highway, which shall be mentioned on the permit. A delivery point can be a godown, a plinth, a warehouse, a silo, a rice mill, a railway siding etc.Application fee for grant of permit under Rule 67 and Permit fee under Rule 68 of the Punjab Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 will be as notified, and LMV (Transport) license vehicle will be required to drive the tractor trolleys as a Goods Transport Vehicle, according to the guidelines, expected to notified on Monday.The trolleys need not be called to office for the registration, and the registration certificates and permits may be issued on the spot in a camp mode. Wherever not specifically stated the procedure and requirements as regards goods carriage/transport vehicles under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 shall apply, as the case may be, and as may be applicable, from time to time.
Noting that the decision had been taken in the larger public interest, the spokesperson pointed out that since tractor-trolleys are lying idle after the harvest, the move to allow their use for transport food grains will not only help support the procurement process but also generate additional income for the farmer/owner, if he opts for it.The notification by the department will also lay down the specifications for obtaining fitness certificates to enable such use of the tractor-trolley. Since the Rajasthan government has laid down procedure to register tractor trolleys as goods transport vehicles, a provision has been incorporated to alternatively use the design approved by State of Rajasthan as per recommendations of Mechanical Wing of Jai Narayan Vyas University.A Board of Inspection is being constituted, as per the notification, to certify the fitness of the vehicle prior to its registration as goods transport.