Composition of Task Force in Transport Department

Government of West Bengal
Transport Department
Paribahan Bhawan
12, R.N. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata – 700 001

No. 1527-WT/3M-47/08 (Pt-III) Date: 27/04/2015

NOTIFICATION

WHEREAS, Section 67(1)(d)(i) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 empowers the State Government to issue directions to the State Transport Authority (STA) and Regional Transport Authority(ies) (RTA) with regard to the fixing of fares and freights (including the maximum and minimum in respect thereof) for Stage Carriages, Contract Carriages and Goods Carriages;

AND, WHEREAS, the State Government issues such Notifications from time to time and the Notification in the above context having been last issued vide No. 3524-WT/3M-47/2008 dated 26th August, 2014 read with 3903-WT/3M-47/2008 dated 16th September, 2014;

AND, WHEREAS, the petroleum prices have been subject to rise and fall in accordance with the fluctuations of rates in the international market and due to the phasing out of the regime of administered prices;

AND, WHEREAS, the State Government has been frequently receiving demands both from the operators as well as the passengers to evolve formulae whereby the petroleum price fluctuations as well as the related price fluctuations in the prices of spare parts and the costs of insurance etc. could be off-set/ neutralized/ accommodated;

AND, WHEREAS, the State Government, after careful consideration of all the relevant factors in the given context has felt the urgency of addressing the issue in public interest;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Governor is hereby pleased to constitute a Task Force with the composition shown below to evolve some predictable indices whereby the vagaries of the market can be neutralized through some common formulae in a fare structure that can automatically accommodate the fluctuations as aforesaid.

COMPOSITION OF THE TASK FORCE

1. Principal Secretary, Transport Department, GoWB – Chairman
2. Director, Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Kolkata – Member

The terms of reference of the Task Force will be as under:

Terms of reference

i. To identify and analyse the factors for escalation of costs of transport operations both in the public and private sectors;

ii. To evolve generalised formulae based on scientific parameters for review/revision of fare structure from time to time.

The Task Force shall on its own determine the modalities of its functioning and be at liberty to seek views of the different stakeholders in the transport sector including the individual operator(s)/representative organization(s) of the transport operators, passengers’ associations etc. The Task Force may also undertake any market survey and/or co-opt any person/expert to advise it on the areas falling within its domain, if considered necessary and expedient so to do.

This comes into force with immediate effect.

By order of the Governor

Sd/- Chief Secretary, West Bengal

No. 1527-WT dated 27.04.2015