Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 19 Dec: Public transport in Dehradun was disrupted today after the Vikram Union suspended operation of all vehicles in protest against the Transport Department’s enforcement drive following a Nainital High Court order reducing passenger capacity in Vikrams. Acting on the court’s directions, the department has instructed operators to change the vehicle category from 7+1 to 6+1 and has intensified checking against overloading, seizing 79 Vikrams so far. The sudden crackdown has prompted the union to go on strike, accusing the authorities of shifting the burden of past administrative lapses on to operators.
Vikram operators maintained that permits were originally issued by the Transport Department for a 7+1 seating capacity and alleged that the department was now penalising them for its own past decisions after the High Court’s intervention. They said the forced change would cause significant financial losses and warned that if the decision is not withdrawn, Vikram services would be suspended across the state.
The Transport Department has on the other hand stated that efforts to curb overloading had been underway for some time when the High Court directed that Vikrams could operate only in the 6+1 category, with the front seat reserved exclusively for the driver. It may be reminded here that of the 516 registered Vikrams in Dehradun, around half had been operating as 7+1. The court has now ruled that all such vehicles must be treated as 6+1, disallowing the passengers from sitting beside the driver. As per the latest ruling, the fitness certificates will be issued to Virkrams only if the left side of the driver’s cabin is physically blocked, while any violation will attract a fine of up to Rs 20,000, along with action for permit breaches.
The issue traces its roots to 2019, when then RTO Sudhanshu Garg had ordered the removal of front seats and installation of iron rods to seal the cabin, a measure later undone by the operators. In 2021, Transport Headquarters classified all the Vikrams as 7+1, but the order was challenged by the City Bus Union and subsequently quashed by the High Court, which held that the headquarters lacked the authority to do so.
Vikram Union President Satish Sharma said the service have been operating for four decades and have provided the most affordable transport in the city. He alleged harassment by the department and said reducing capacity would deprive operators of one fare per trip while also reducing government revenue. Sharma also shared the union has moved the High Court and a decision is expected on 31 December, adding that the strike would continue indefinitely until their demands are addressed.
