The Times of India 17.04.2013
NMC, RTO, traffic cops come together to facilitate Starbus services
NAGPUR: Commuters travelling in Starbuses can expect better services soon, as, for the first time, Nagpur Municipal Corporation's NagpurMahanagarParivahan Limited (NMPL) convened a joint meeting of civic officials, regional transport officers and city traffic police.
NMC additional municipal commissioner Hemant Pawar, who is also executive director of NMPL, chaired the meeting attended by assistant RTO Ravindra Bhuyar, police inspectors (traffic) Avinash More and Sunil Shinde, assistant municipal commissioners Mahesh Moroney and R Karad, and Vansh Nimay's general manager (operations) Sanket Pande and others.
The meeting focused on various issues ranging from encroachments near bus shelters to non-payment of passenger tax.
Pawar directed the assistant municipal commissioners of all 10 zones to ensure there are no encroachments near bus shelters. "There should be no encroachments (like handcarts or even parked autorickshaws) within 50 meters of the bus shelters," Pawar said, and directed both NMC zonal officers and traffic police to ensure this.
PI Sunil Shinde said the traffic police are always ready to extend support to NMC to remove encroachments from the roads. The issue of pending royalty and refund of concessions given to students were also discussed.
Non-payment of passenger tax
Assistant RTO Ravindra Bhuyar raised the issue of non-payment of passenger tax. Since inception of city bus service by NMC, not a single penny has been paid towards this head. As per RTO records, the unpaid passengers tax comes to around Rs 10.63 crore.
Fitness certificates
After TOI highlighted the issue of Starbuses plying without fitness certificates, the city bus operator has started complying with fitness norms. It has already started the procedure to obtain fitness certificates for its fleet and so far it has obtained fitness certificates for 110 buses. Presently, the operator is plying 240 buses, of which 180 buses were purchased under JNNURM.
Shift bus shelters
The presence of bus stops near traffic junctions, main thoroughfares and roundabouts, is posing bottlenecks to free vehicular movement on many busy stretches across Nagpur, pointed out senior traffic PI Avinash More. He demanded that NMC should shift the bus stops erected near traffic junctions, so that there is no chaos near junctions.
Illegal passenger vehicles
Vansh Nimay officials raised the issue of illegal passenger vehicles plying in city limits, which is affecting their business. Most autorickshaws operating in the city do not have mandatory stage transport permit as stipulated by the Motor Vehicles Act. The illegal operation of autorickshaws and other private vehicles also came to fore recently when the city traffic police launched a drive and found many three-wheelers without valid permits plying in city limits.
NMC additional municipal commissioner Hemant Pawar, who is also executive director of NMPL, chaired the meeting attended by assistant RTO Ravindra Bhuyar, police inspectors (traffic) Avinash More and Sunil Shinde, assistant municipal commissioners Mahesh Moroney and R Karad, and Vansh Nimay's general manager (operations) Sanket Pande and others.
The meeting focused on various issues ranging from encroachments near bus shelters to non-payment of passenger tax.
Pawar directed the assistant municipal commissioners of all 10 zones to ensure there are no encroachments near bus shelters. "There should be no encroachments (like handcarts or even parked autorickshaws) within 50 meters of the bus shelters," Pawar said, and directed both NMC zonal officers and traffic police to ensure this.
PI Sunil Shinde said the traffic police are always ready to extend support to NMC to remove encroachments from the roads. The issue of pending royalty and refund of concessions given to students were also discussed.
Non-payment of passenger tax
Assistant RTO Ravindra Bhuyar raised the issue of non-payment of passenger tax. Since inception of city bus service by NMC, not a single penny has been paid towards this head. As per RTO records, the unpaid passengers tax comes to around Rs 10.63 crore.
Fitness certificates
After TOI highlighted the issue of Starbuses plying without fitness certificates, the city bus operator has started complying with fitness norms. It has already started the procedure to obtain fitness certificates for its fleet and so far it has obtained fitness certificates for 110 buses. Presently, the operator is plying 240 buses, of which 180 buses were purchased under JNNURM.
Shift bus shelters
The presence of bus stops near traffic junctions, main thoroughfares and roundabouts, is posing bottlenecks to free vehicular movement on many busy stretches across Nagpur, pointed out senior traffic PI Avinash More. He demanded that NMC should shift the bus stops erected near traffic junctions, so that there is no chaos near junctions.
Illegal passenger vehicles
Vansh Nimay officials raised the issue of illegal passenger vehicles plying in city limits, which is affecting their business. Most autorickshaws operating in the city do not have mandatory stage transport permit as stipulated by the Motor Vehicles Act. The illegal operation of autorickshaws and other private vehicles also came to fore recently when the city traffic police launched a drive and found many three-wheelers without valid permits plying in city limits.
