The Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI) and Tamil Nadu Omni Bus Owners Association have urged the State government to provide waiver from various taxes and help the transport sector under severe stress during the lockdown period.
Members of the associations representing the private passenger transport operators noted that nearly 1.5 lakh vehicles were being operated across the State and the lockdown has hit the sector with nearly 18 lakh people facing job loss. As the IT and industrial units were shut, the staff bus services have also come to a grinding halt.
The government must consider waiver on toll tax and motor vehicle tax and extend vehicle insurance validity for six months. Mohammed Afzal, president, general secretary, BOCI, said the government must extend its support to the sector by granting a waiver of taxes and defer monthly instalment payments for up to an year. Besides insurance cover to drivers and labourers working during the pandemic, online services must be provided for payment of fee and other charges in regional transport offices.
The BOCI has also written to the Prime Minister on the issues that affected the sector and requested the government to pay salary for transport workers for three months, a press release said.
