70 Madhya Pradesh buses a day enter Nagpur on wedding-party permits, RTO and police look away
Travel buses from Madhya Pradesh are said to run as regular passenger services from the MP bus stand in Sitabuldi on temporary permits meant for weddings and picnics.
An illegal travel-bus business is being run from the Madhya Pradesh bus stand next to the railway station in Sitabuldi, Nagpur. It is said that 70 wedding processions come to Nagpur district from Madhya Pradesh every day. That sounds odd, since so many processions are not seen anywhere in a single day, but this is the reality. Some 140 buses ply between Madhya Pradesh and the city daily.
These buses hold only a temporary permit, issued by the Madhya Pradesh transport department for travel from one place to another. Under the rules, a bus is booked only after the passenger list is examined. But in most travel buses coming from MP, the illegal carrying of passengers to and from the city is thriving.
Seventy buses enter Nagpur daily without any check. The MP transport department issues them permits under Section 87(1)(a). This permit is issued only for wedding events, picnics or a special occasion. Under it, a bus can travel only from one fixed place to another fixed place, but the rules are being flouted here.
The business cannot run without the connivance of the MP transport department. The silence of the local administration also raises questions. The city police traffic branch is not paying attention, nor is the Sitabuldi police. The Regional Transport Office (RTO) appears to want to have it both ways in every matter and seems to have no concern for the disorder in the city.
The transport department grants permission to travel from one fixed place to another for a wedding procession or a special event under Section 87(1)(a) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The permit is valid only for a short period. It is generally used to run passenger vehicles on special occasions such as weddings, picnics, fairs or religious events, but only for a limited time.
Under the Madhya Pradesh Motor Vehicles Carvan rules, passenger vehicles with a temporary permit issued under Section 87(1)(a) must pay a daily or weekly per-seat tax and an application fee. The applicant must submit the programme brochure and a list of all passengers. A banner relating to the event must also be displayed on the front of the vehicle. None of this is seen on the buses running on this permit in the city.
In Nagpur district, the nexus between travel bus operators and touts in this illegal business is strong. Administrative officials and staff look away on seeing these buses. After 'Lakshmi darshan' (a bribe), why would there be any action? Even if an allegation is ever made, the network is so strong that it becomes active before the administration moves. As soon as the RTO or police stop a vehicle, bus operators phone Bhopal, and touts there produce a permit within minutes.
Although the permits for these buses are issued by the Madhya Pradesh transport department, responsibility for traffic and passenger movement rests with the local administration once they enter Maharashtra. Yet no one pays attention to this illegal business, even though the MP bus stand is right in the middle of the city.
The railway station road already has traffic problems. Controlling these buses coming from MP on illegal permits is the responsibility of the local administration. But a gang of offenders has created chaos here. Passengers are being packed into vehicles illegally and fares above the prescribed rates are being charged.
