Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, September 09, 2010::
Inter-state buses operating along the NH-39 have suspended their service from today.
Ticket booking counters had also closed down from yesterday.
Demand for payment of Rs 50,000 from each agency as fine for servicing on the NH-39 defying the decision of the Transporters' and Drivers' Council (TDC), not to ply on NH-39, was behind the suspension of service of the inter-state buses.
Some members of the All Manipur Inter-state Bus Association (AMISBA) disclosed that by a decision of the TDC taken in the first week of July this year, the service of the buses were suspended and used the NH-59.Freight trucks and buses started service on the NH-53 but due to bad and deplorable condition of the highway and difficulties faced in the stranding midway at every to and fro journey.
With no passenger wants to travel with the inter-state buses on the NH-53, they suspended the service.
Meanwhile, taxi service of the Tata Sumo, Tata Winger and Van continued their services on the NH-39. When there reached a situation of dying the inter-state buses due to business failure, the buses resumed services on the NH-39 from August 25.But it was by only five buses not by all the 15 buses which were in operation before the problems in plying the NH-39 were not surfaced.
As desire by some owners of the buses, some buses resumed their service on the NH-39 but all of a sudden, a civil organization threatened to pay Rs 50,000 per bus as fine for defying the decision of the TDC.
Since then, the services were suspended from today, they said.
Mention may be made that despite the suspension of inter-state bus service, people continued to travel on the NH-39 to Dimapur and Guwahati for their respective destinaitons with tax service at higher fare rates.