'Private sector should manage transport'

Industry body Assocham today suggested passing on the management control of state transport bodies to the private sector for reviving it.

The worsening financial and physical conditions of states' transport system can be made efficient and productive if the state governments get away from managing the transport services, Assocham said in a release here.

Transferri ng the management of these services to the corporate sector will improve efficiency, productivity and quality of services, chamber president M K Sanghi said in a representation to chief ministers and transport ministers of all states and union territories.

The public would not resent the move as it would directly benefit from it, he said. The badly-run sector erodes the state finances instead of contributing to revenue collection, sanghi said, adding the sector was in a mess and becoming a liability on state finances.