Kochi: Transport Principal Secretary K.R. Jyothilal has denied the charge that the recent directives issued on the Licensed Agent for Public Transport (LAPT) licence would help private buses operate as stage carriers.
As per the guidelines for issuance of LAPT licence, booking offices of license-holders will have to be at least 500 metres away from any KSRTC depot and the operator will have to ensure toilet facilities every 50 km for the travellers.
There were charges that the guidelines would help private buses operate as stage carriers as they can stop the buses every 50 km.
“Various apprehensions have been made by certain sections on LAPT licensing. It is made clear that contract carriage is always a contract carriage and cannot be run as a stage carriage at any time,” the official said in a note to the transport commissioner.
“The booking has to be from point to point, that is from the starting point to the last point and no commuters can be picked up from any in-between stops. This is issued as a clarification for strict enforcement by the Motor Vehicles Department,” he said.
The interstate services by private operators fall under contract carriage while only KSRTC is allowed to ply as stage-carriers.
Meanwhile, based on a complaint filed by the KSRTC authorities, the MVD took action agai-nst ‘Anupam Travels’ for operating as a stage carrier on the Munnar-Thiruvananthapuram route.
