The entry of private luxury buses is already banned from 11 pm to 7 am. Now, the ban also applies to light passenger vehicles
Luxury and tourists bus operators in Gujarat have demanded that their vehicles be allowed to enter the city throughout the day, as well as parking facilities. The latest diktat to ban entry of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) in the city, as a part of the ongoing drive to streamline traffic in Ahmedabad city, will cause hardships for the passengers and if this continues people will stop using private luxury buses, they say.
The entry of private luxury buses is already banned from 11 pm to 7 am. Now, the ban also applies to light passenger vehicles. "Police say drop passengers on the ring road. Passengers coming from Rajkot are to be dropped at Sanathal. How will they reach their homes or other destination from such remote places. Will they continue to use private luxury buses if they are not given last mile connectivity?" asked Meghji Khetani, president of Akhil Gujarat Pravasi Vahan Sanchalak Mahamandal (AGPVSM), which has close to 800 operators plying about 8,000 buses across the state. Of these close to 1,200 buses connect Ahmedabad.
Haribhai Patel, chairman of AGPVSM, said that if land is provided by the government, they are ready to create transport hubs at major entry locations in the city. "We need basic infrastructure to operate. We are ready to use infrastructure of GSRTC on rent. If that is not possible, we are ready to create dedicated hubs," said Patel.
Gajendra Dugar, MD, of Parshwanath Travels, said that their buses follow Euro 4 norms. So, there is concern about pollution. Accident issue can be dealt with separately. "Ahmedabad is the only city in the country where such curbs apply. Even dense cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru do not have such restrictions," he said.
Patel argued that not allowing private vehicles in the city increases the traffic rather than reducing it as more rickshaws or cars are needed to transport people. "The government should consider us partners rather than competitors," said Patel.
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