On the strong demand of all the small private bus operators, tourist, mini & school bus operators and taxi unions of Punjab, the Transport Minister Mr. Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, on Wednesday, assured that a transparent and apt bus time table would be worked out and implemented soon, besides giving exemption from taxes for the period of COVID-19.During a series of meetings here at Punjab Bhawan, Raja Warring said that he was well aware that around 90 per cent of the bus industry is associated with small bus operators and employing more than 1.5 lakh people in the state. "While the state will deal sternly with the big bus mafia, simultaneously the small bus industry would not be allowed to die", the Transport Minister asserted to the delegation of small bus operators led by MLA Faridkot Mr. Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon.Regarding the demand for tax exemption to the bus operators, the Transport Minister said that the department would come up with a kilometer-wise slab scheme for tax exemption in the next few days besides considering extending the Amnesty Scheme till March 31, 2022.
He categorically said that the tax defaulter bus operators will have to pay the taxes of pre-COVID era at all costs, failing which nobody will be given the benefit of the extended amnesty scheme.MLA Mr. Dhillon, elaborating the demands, said that the number of small bus operators in the state was high and they were constantly exploited by the big bus mafia, hence the small bus operators would be provided the level playing field in this profession.The Transport Minister asked the representatives of private bus operators, mini and tourist bus operators unions, school bus operators and taxi unions to form three member committees so that the demands could be acted upon in a short time. He assured all the unions that the economy was affected all over the world and every section has suffered during the trying times of COVID and considering this aspect, the government was mulling to extend exemptions to all sections involved in transport services.During the meeting, Principal Secretary Transport Mr. K. Siva Prasad and representatives of various unions were present.