Private travel companies defying High Court orders

- Adv Asim Sarode: Judges should now take cognizance of the arbitrariness of travels

Aurangabad:

Private travel companies are charging arbitrary fares from passengers. They have no fear of law. The travel companies should put up their minimum and maximum fares in such places that will be easily visible to the passengers. But nothing happens. High Court orders are being defied. The Judges should take cognizance of the issue, requested social activist Adv Asim Sarode.

He was speaking in a press conference organised in Aurangabad on Tuesday. He discussed the arbitrary hike in travel fares and the dilapidated condition of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC). Sarode said the Ratrani (nightly) buses of the MSRTC were stopped. But buses of private companies are running at night. Many private travel buses are in poor condition. In 2012, toilet facilities were provided in some buses of Bangalore. A rule should be made for such toilet facilities in private buses in Maharashtra.

A PIL was filed by Sahyog Trust in Bombay High Court. On July 16, 2014, the High Court delivered its judgment. But the court order is not being implemented. He also said that arbitrary operation of private buses should be stopped. Vivek Dhakne, Rauf Pathan, Adv Abhijit Patil, Nilesh Raut, Subodh Jadhav and others were present on the occasion.

1.5 lakh private bus in operation

There were 65,000 private buses operational in the State in 2014. This number has now increased to 1.5 lakh. The question is why MSRTC is not increasing the number of buses and why are private buses being hired by the ST corporation. Passengers are willing to pay. The government and MSRTC should buy their own buses.