Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Feb 12: Private bus operator Dream Team Sharara (DTS) operating under state-owned Bhubaneswar Puri Transport Services Limited (BPTSL) is not able to slap fines on ticketless travelers. BPTSL, which comes under the housing and urban development (H&UD) department, is yet to get legal powers from the State Transport Authority (STA) to empower DTS to impose fines under section 178 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.
The private operator has claimed that 7 per cent of passengers are travelling without tickets in city buses every day. More than 50,000 passengers use the city bus service every day.
Fines from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 can be slapped on ticketless passengers, who can also be given imprisonment terms ranging from three months to a year, according to the MV Act’s section 178.
While DTS is unable to slap fines, STA has delegated powers to the state-run Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) to impose fines and conduct raids on short and long-distance buses across the state.
DTS officials said ticketless travellers often go scot free because of lack of powers vested in the ticket checking staff. The firm operates 145 buses, including 12 AC Redline buses in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Khurda, Jatni and surrounding areas on 21 routes.
STA officials said that as BPTSL comes under H&UD, it cannot slap fines and take legal action against ticketless commuters. “Had it fallen under the transport department, legal powers could have been delegated to BPTSL to tighten the noose against people travelling without tickets. Even BPTSL’s fare structure is fixed by H&UD and STA plays no role,” regional transport officer Lalmohan Sethi said. STA would have to go through transport guidelines to delegate powers to BPTSL, Sethi said.
BPTSL chairman-cum-mayor AN Jena said flying squads of DTS would be strengthened to tighten the noose against ticketless passengers. “We have found that nearly 7 per cent of the total passengers are ticketless travellers. We rolled out the service October 10, 2010, but since then no legal action is being taken against violators,” DTS chief executive officer Sudhanshu Jena said.
