Kolkata, May 4 : Good vehicles with national permits will no longer be allowed to provide intrastate services in West Bengal in the coming days, the state transport department has ordered.
According to a notification issued by the state transport secretary Saumitra Mohan, going forward, only goods vehicles having permits issued by the state transport department will be allowed to provide intrastate services within the state.
The notification clarified that the decision was taken following a discussion with the Union ministry of road transport & highways. State transport department sources said that for quite some time complaints were being received from transport providers having permits from the state transport business, that trucks with national permits were providing intrastate services in an unauthorised manner.
"On the basis of the complaints, the state transport department conducted an investigation. During the probe, we came across waybills and challans that confirmed the authenticity of the complaints filed by the transport service operators with state permits. Finally, the state transport department has decided to bar the good vehicles with national permits to provide intrastate services in West Bengal," the transport department official said.
He pointed out that the involvement of goods vehicles with national permits in intrastate services were not just hampering the business interests of the operators with state permits, but also resulting in revenue loss for the state government.
"However, in very special cases the goods vehicles with national permits might be allowed to operate in the state but that will be with prior permission from the state government," the transport department official said.
/IANS