New Delhi, May 9 (Inditop.com) A new regime permitting goods carriers access to the whole country on a single permit came in force Sunday after hectic negotiations between transporters and the government.
The new composite fee regime for national permit allows trucks access to all states for a year on a payment of Rs.15,000.
The regime, which was earlier scheduled to be implemented from May 1, was delayed by a week due to some issues raised by some states.
The decision to implement the regime from Sunday was taken in a meeting between principal secretaries and transport commissioners of states and union territories Saturday.
The states have, however, expressed that it may take them at least two more weeks to make the necessary amendments in taxation laws to facilitate the regime’s implementation.
Under the new scheme, states will issue a single national permit for Rs.15,000 per truck annually, helping operators save around Rs.10,000.
Currently, a trucker pays Rs.20,000 and gets access to his home state and three neighbouring states. For accessing each additional state, the transporter has to pay another Rs.5,000.
Calling the new regime as a historic achievement, All India Motor Transport Congress president G.R. Shanmugappa said it will make road transport across the country unified.
“This is the most cherished gift to this industry as India has now become one union in road transport like the railways,” he said.
Shanmugappa added that the “government has assured that other issues like toll and abolition of anti-dumping duty on tyres will also be sorted out in a time-bound manner”.
