Bhubaneswar: In view of the problems faced by bus operators due to COVID-19 lockdown, Odisha government today announced relief measures for bus owners by granting them road tax exemptions.
In a notification issued by State Transport Department, tax and additional tax of Stage/ contract carriages in the State have been exempted for three months i.e. April, May and June, 2020.
Though the State Government had granted permission for the resumption of private bus service within Odisha from May 25, it could not be resumed due to deadlock between the All Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association and the government over a series of demands including financial assistance, exemption of due taxes on bus owners and insurance cover for bus staff.
Later, the bus owners resumed services from Thursday (May 28) following a discussion with Commerce and Transport department. The private bus operators had sought tax exemption till August citing that the vehicles were off road during the month of April and May due to the lockdown.
As per the government guidelines, owners have been asked to ensure that all passengers wear masks and adequate sanitation measures as undertaken in their respective buses.
Meanwhile, the State Transport Authority (STA) on Wednesday announced that there would be no change in bus fares operating between Bhubaneswar and the district headquarters.
The STA communicated the decision through Twitter and posted “The bus fare was last revised on 21.3.2020 and the fare is still in force. The fare between different towns for different category of buses is attached for the benefit of passengers.”
STA also shared the list of fares that will be applicable across all various categories of buses based on the type of vehicles operating from the Baramunda Bus terminal in Bhubaneswar to all the district headquarters.
Also Read: No Hike In Bus Fares In Odisha, Check The Ticket Rate Chart