Hyderabad: Bus operators cry foul over hefty traffic fines

Hyderabad: Telangana State Cabs & Bus Operators Association (TSCBOA) has accused Hyderabad Traffic Police of harassing the bus operators by imposing heavy fines and penalties and said this could lead to the shutting down of the services.

TSCBOA on Monday appealed to the Hyderabad Traffic Police Additional Commissioner Sudheer Babu to look into the matter on humanitarian grounds and take necessary action to provide relief to the operators and drivers.

The TSCBOA President, Syed Nizamuddin has warned that the police's actions could result in the closure of the industry as the fines incurred are so steep that operators are left empty-handed despite investing crores of rupees.

"Of a booking of Rs 5,000, the bus operators are spending nearly Rs 2,000 only on traffic challans. The traffic police are imposing a fine of Rs 1,635 in the name of traffic violations like no entry, Rs 800 for sun shade at drivers' seat, Rs 500 for disobedience and sometimes Rs 500 towards compounding. Each and every bus which we are operating in Greater Hyderabad is not returning to the garage without a challan," he added. He said, "The bus operators were suffering huge losses due to indiscriminate challans by the traffic police. On a booking of Rs 5,000, we are spending about Rs 2,000 diesel and another Rs 1,000 on drive. With the traffic police taking away the remaining amount, we are left with no money to pay EMIs and other expenses. Instead of making some profits, we are suffering losses by operating the buses," he said.

Syed Nizamuddin said that the industry is also facing challenges as the government has increased taxes for the sector, with the tax increasing from Rs 1,210 to Rs 1,510. This increase in tax means that a 50-seater bus's tax has been effectively raised by over Rs 15,000, adding to the industry's financial woes, he said.

He accused the traffic police constables of taking random pictures of buses with the intention to impose challans on them. "There is a roll call at all police stations where constables are required to take 100 photos of traffic violations twice daily, with each picture of a traffic violation earning at least Rs 1635 of a challan," he alleged.