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Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Nagpur's Private Bus Ban Without Alternative Hubs to Hit Passengers Hard Before Festive Rush
Nagpur: The last-minute traffic clampdown on private buses has thrown both operators and passengers into disarray ahead of the Janmashtami–Pola–Ganesh Utsav travel rush. From August 13, the city's traffic police barred private buses from halting anywhere inside the Inner Ring Road between 8 am and 10 pm — without creating even a single designated satellite terminal, parking bay, or passenger shelter on the outskirts. The month-long order, issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Lohit Matani, targets all private buses without authorised premises in the city. Operators have just seven days to update booking portals with new boarding and alighting points. But thousands of passengers who booked tickets weeks in advance now face last-minute diversions, longer commutes, and higher costs — with no clarity on exactly where they will be picked up or dropped off. In cities like Hyderabad, Pune, Surat, and Mumbai, similar restrictions have worked only because authorities first invested in satellite bus stations linked to city buses, autos, and metro lines. These hubs provide waiting areas, ticket counters, food stalls, and security. Nagpur, however, is attempting the same shift with no alternative network in place — a recipe for chaos that could see crowds spilling onto unmarked roadside spots near metro stations and choking peripheral roads. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The policy also sits uneasily alongside a central govt-backed directive issued in April 2023 — and reiterated by Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar after a meeting chaired by state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik — exempting All India Tourist Permit (AITP) buses from penalties if stationary only for boarding or alighting. That exemption now directly collides with the local police's push to keep all private coaches outside Inner Ring Road, creating contradictory rules and leaving operators unsure which directive takes precedence. Transport planners warn that such a ban, if implemented without preparation, risks simply relocating congestion rather than resolving it. "You can't just pull the plug and expect order to emerge. Without marked terminals, signage, and last-mile links, you're just moving the mess to the outskirts," one metropolitan transport official told TOI. Operators say the sudden change will force them to improvise at unsafe, inconvenient spots on the city fringes, adding to travel times and risking accidents. For passengers — especially elderly travellers, families with children, and those arriving late at night — the absence of lit, secure waiting areas is a serious safety concern. Officials insist the restriction is needed to ease festive-season gridlock and improve pedestrian safety. But the lack of coordination between the traffic department, the state transport authority, and the local civic agencies has exposed years of missed opportunities to develop planned intercity bus hubs. For now, Nagpur's passengers and operators will have to navigate not just congested roads, but a tangle of unclear rules and absent infrastructure in the busiest travel weeks of the year. TRAVEL TANGLE Ban applies between 8 am and 10 pm for all private buses without authorised premises inside Inner Ring Road Operators have seven days to update booking portals with new pick-up and drop-off locations No satellite bus terminals exist in Nagpur, unlike in other major cities Policy coincides with festive-season travel surge for Janmashtami, Pola, and Ganesh Utsav Overlap between state transport directive (protecting AITP buses) and police order causes enforcement confusion Experts warn congestion may shift to outskirts without last-mile connectivity Officials cite pedestrian safety and smoother traffic flow as primary goals Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
No fine for pvt buses during passengers pick up, drop
Nagpur: In a move that has sparked mixed reactions, Maharashtra transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar on Wednesday directed that private buses holding All India Tourist Permits (AITP) will no longer be penalised for halting temporarily to pick up or drop passengers. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The instruction, issued after a July 2 meeting chaired by state transport minister Pratap Sirnaik, follows repeated complaints from operators about being fined by traffic police and RTO officials even during brief halts. The directive cites a central notification — GSR 302(E) dated April 18, 2023 — which exempts AITP buses from parking penalties if they are stationary solely for passenger boarding or alighting. Officials clarified that challans must not be issued in such cases, offering long-sought relief to the private bus lobby. However, the order has raised fresh concerns for Nagpur's traffic management machinery, which is already grappling with rampant congestion caused by over 800 private travel buses operating daily in the city. As per a recent study by the city traffic police under then DCP Archit Chandak and ACP Madhuri Baviskar, these buses — many of which head to or arrive from neighbouring states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Telangana and even intra-city destinations like Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Mumbai, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, etc — are creating daily gridlocks by halting at busy intersections and arterial roads during peak hours. From Baidyanath Chowk and Cotton Market Square to Residency Road in Sadar and Central Avenue, major bottlenecks have become routine, especially in the evenings when passenger movement surges. Key squares like Geetanjali, Indora, Automotive, Bole Petrol Pump square, Ravi Nagar, and Campus square are among the worst hit, with buses regularly blocking lanes while loading or unloading passengers. "This constant obstruction leads to severe traffic snarls and poses a major hazard to commuters," said a senior traffic official. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Manas Chowk, Liberty Chowk, Sneha Nagar, and Jagnade Chowk are also among the hotspots where complaints from frustrated motorists have been pouring in. Last month, Nagpur police commissioner Ravinder Singal proposed a ban on private bus operations in the city citing worsening vehicular chaos. That proposal may lose steam in light of the transport department's latest directive, which, while favouring bus operators, may further strain civic order during busy hours.
New Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Luxury bus operators hail halt to ‘unlawful' tax levy in Kerala
KOCHI: The association of luxury bus operators in Kerala has welcomed the Centre's move to remove the option for collecting taxes from inter-state passenger buses from the parivahan website, saying it would halt the 'unlawful' collection of taxes by states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The association alleged that despite the bus owners paying up to Rs 3 lakh in the name of the All India Tourist Permit (AITP), state governments like Kerala and Tamil Nadu were unlawfully collecting taxes from buses, thereby burdening the operators. 'Though the states receive their share from the permit amount, the governments were still collecting taxes from us while citing losses as the excuse,' alleged said A J Rejin, the association president. On April 25, the Centre removed the tax levying options for AITP private passenger vehicles from the parivahan website. 'If the tax collection resumes in future, we will have to take steps like halting services,' he told reporters at the Ernakulam Press Club on Monday.
