Telangana exchequer hit by out-of-state cabs: Gig and platform workers demand strict enforcement
Hyderabad: Thousands of out-of-state vehicles plying on city roads continue to float the norms and causing a loss to state exchequer. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) also reveals Rs 72 lakhs, loss to state exchequer due to these kinds of violations. Highlighting the same, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers appeal the police and transport officials to crack a whip on the non local vehicles operating cab services in the state and more particularly in Greater Hyderabad limits.
According to the CAG report tabled in assembly on Friday, the audit test check report pointed out 19 lakhs deviation in Seven cases of other state vehicles plying without assignment of Telangana state registration mark. Further audit found 6,376 cases of other state vehicles plyinging in the state and staying beyond 12 months in the state. This is in violation of the provisions of Section 47 of MV Act. “As no provision was made in Citizen Friendly Service in Transport Department (CFST) software for alerting such cases to the vehicle owners, an amount of Rs 72.51 lakh towards re-assignment fees remained unrealised,” pointed out CAG.
Speaking to Hyderabad mail, Telangana Gig and Platform Worker Union President Shaik Salauddin said, “Thousands of interstate vehicles from neighboring states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu etc.) are operating in the city with the help of temporary permits and by only paying the border taxi. These vehicles work on app-based ride ailing/sharing services like Ola, Uber, Rapido and with IT companies, rather than leaving the city after their permit lapses, these vehicles keep on operating in the city illegally”.
Salauddin appealed to the concerned authorities conducting special checks in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medchal–Malkajgiri and Sangareddy should enforce regulations, ensuring that all vehicles have the necessary permits and pay appropriate taxes to operate legally within the state. He further urged that the enforcement should include a significant penalty for non-compliance and a directive for app-based ride hailing/sharing aggregators to prevent the registration of such non-compliant vehicles.
Explaining how these other state vehicles operating in Telangana will impact the state exchequer, Salauddin said, “During festive seasons, illegal cab services by private vehicles increase, affecting the business of registered cab drivers and risking passenger safety. Despite complaints, authorities haven’t addressed this. A crackdown on hotspots like airport areas, will help in protecting the passengers, support registered cab drivers, and boost state revenue. Moreover, illegal cabs compromise insurance claims in accidents,underscoring the need for enforcement.”
City taxis and those operating through app-based ride hailing/sharing aggregators like Uber, Olaand Rapido others should be asked to follow the new fare structure in lines of what the Karnataka Transport Department has implemented in Karnataka, demanded Telangana Gig and Platform Worker Union.
Salauddin urged the Telangana State Transport Commissioner to kindly look into the issues and to take strict action against illegal cab services and aggregator companies, and other state vehicles operating illegally in Telangana.
