Punjab plans Goods Carriages Regulation to cartelisation in transport sector

Chandigarh: To end the cartelisation of goods transport, the Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval to the Punjab Goods Carriages (Regulation and Prevention of Cartelisation Rules), 2017, which bars goods carriage operators from forming cartels or unions in the state. [caption id=“attachment_3754641” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “Once these rules come into effect, no operator or permit holder of goods carriages shall be allowed to form a cartel denying freedom of choice to the consignors and consignees to engage the services of such operators or permit holders,” a government spokesperson said after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. The new rules state that no operator or permit holder of goods carriages shall compel any other operator or a permit holder of goods carriage to join him to carry out the business, and no operator or permit holder of goods carriage shall deny services to any of the consignors and consignees, who wish to avail their services. The proposed new rules will be placed in public domain for 30 days for feedback. “The move is aimed at destroying the mafia of goods transporters who had cartelised the business over the past several years, obstructing the free and fair movement of goods transport, thereby also impacting the industrial development of the state,” the spokesperson said. To protect the interests of the transporters following the abolition of truck unions, it was also decided that the government should fix the minimum and maximum fares and freights for goods carriers. “This would be done from time to time, in respect of different kinds of goods carriers on a per kilometre basis for wet and dry loads and for the transportation of livestock, keeping in view the different terrains to be traversed, the cost of fuel and maintenance, salaries and expenditure, and all other relevant factors pertaining to the different kinds of goods carriages,” the spokesperson said. The rules also say that no operator or a permit holder of goods carriages shall stop any operator or a permit holder of goods carriages who wish to pick up goods from any local areas, towns or cities within Punjab in the normal course of their business, as permissible under the terms and conditions of permit granted to them by the competent authority, the spokesperson added.