To encourage introduction of eco-friendly fuel efficient buses, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has formally accorded sanction to a scheme to provide Rs 5 lakh subsidy to transporters for replacement of 15-year old buses.
In an order issued on Tuesday, Principal Secretary of the Transport department Asgar Hassan Samoon said the scheme is intended to provide impetus to public transport by providing subsidy to transporters for introducing new eco-friendly fuel efficient buses compliant to BS-IV and above norms.
Samoon said it would ensure optimum usage of the available road space by transporting the maximum number of people per unit of road space, thus obviating the problem of congestion, traffic jams and pollution.
"The scheme is also intended to help in curtailing rising car ownership, problem of vehicle parking and reduced road space," he said, adding that the scheme may be extended to mini buses or matadors in the near future.
Notably, Rs 25 crore has already been earmarked for the purchase of old buses by private players in the 2019-20 budget. The amount of subsidy would be Rs 5 Lakh per bus.
To ensure transparency, open advertisement would be issued to call interested operators to avail the subsidy.
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"The subsidy needs to be provided to only those who are in need of loan to raise capital. The state pollution board will certify the age of the vehicle. J&K Bank will be one of the banks that may provide loan to the operators..," the scheme read.
The scheme also comes with a rider for the beneficiaries as they must ply these vehicles on identified routes for five years for which concerned Regional Transport Officers shall file compliance report after every six months.
"The beneficiary operators have to ensure that vehicles clear government fees, including token tax, passenger tax, fitness fees, permit fees and bank liability. Besides the vehicles should have a valid permit renewed up-to-date along with insurance certificate," the scheme said.
According to the scheme, for availing the subsidy, it would be required to condemn the vehicle or vehicles and get it scrapped. Only after their deregistration, they shall be allowed to avail the subsidy.
"For periodically reviewing the working of the scheme, a committee will be formed with principal secretary transport as chairman, transport commissioner Jammu and Kashmir as member, RTO Jammu and RTO Kashmir as member secretaries for Jammu and Kashmir division respectively,"Samoon said.
He said the mandate of the committee would be to identify and finalise the list of beneficiaries besides deciding under the scheme any class of public service vehicle like diesel driven matadors or mini buses plying in the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar.
According to the scheme, a sub-committee with transport commissioner as chairman, Director Motor Garages, Managing Director JKSRTC as members besides RTOs of Srinagar and Jammu and member secretaries respectively would ensure that existing 15 years old buses are not used and allowed to ply in the union territory and are scrapped by the transporter in their presence within a stipulated time.