Congress MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warring Thursday threatened to protest against the state government if it did not act against private transporters whose buses were involved in "frequent" accidents, leading to deaths.
During the Zero Hour in the ongoing Punjab budget session here, Warring, a legislator from Giddarbaha raised the issue of people "being killed" in accidents involving private buses in the state.
Drawing attention of the state transport minister Aruna Chaudhary, Warring claimed that was no law to act against the accused private transporters.
"Can't we lodge a case against them? Will they continue to crush people," asked Warring, calling it a "very serious issue".
He demanded that firms whose private buses were involved in "frequent" accidents must be shut down.
Urging the transport minister not to shrug off the matter, Warring sought a law be enacted to act against erring bus operators.
"The law should have a provision to close down such bus companies. If we have to protest against our government for it, we will... We will not allow people be crushed on roads," the Giddarbaha MLA said.
Warring further alleged that several "unscrupulous" bus companies were getting licenses and fitness certificates renewed illegally which was hurting the image of the state government.
"If this continues, the trust which people had shown in us will vanish," he warned.
In her reply, Chaudhary said: "The law is already there. There is a need to fine tune it and be made more effective."
Intervening in the matter, the leader of opposition and AAP MLA Harpal Singh Cheema sought an amendment in the existing law to punish the "reckless" drivers.
The private transport sector in Punjab is dominated by political leaders, including the Badal family.
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