Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s government on Friday pushed through the West Bengal Additional Tax and One-Time Tax on Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2004.
The government had promulgated an ordinance last year introducing a one-time, five-year-tax for four-wheelers and a lifetime tax for two-wheelers.
This triggered loud protests from transport operators and the matter landed in Calcutta High Court. Though the government has not altered the new tax structure as the court is still hearing the matter, it has revised the rates of penalising the tax-defaulters.
According to the earlier provisions, a defaulter would have had to pay a fine to the tune of the entire tax amount for five years. But following a public outcry, the government simplified the penalty structure for delay in tax payment.
Transport minister Subhas Chakraborty said in the Assembly that the bill, passed on Friday, aimed at simplifying the penalty structure and restructuring it.
The government has also issued an order scrapping all commercial vehicles — both passenger and goods — manufactured before 1975.
The transport department has also ordered issuance of a 10-year permit for buses, instead of the existing annual permit system.
“Permits for trucks and buses registered before 1975 will not be renewed and will be allowed to ply anywhere in the state,” said H. Mohan, joint secretary of transport department.
Bus operators said they did not object to the scrapping of pre-1975 vehicles. “But we want the government to allow us some flexibility, as it may not be possible for all of us to afford brand new buses right away,” said Swarna Kamal Saha, president, Bengal Bus Syndicate.
Copies of the order had been sent to the public vehicles department in Calcutta and regional transport authorities in the districts.
As far as private vehicles are concerned, Mohan said no such cut-off date had been fixed. “Private cars, irrespective of make and year, can ply anywhere if they conform to the emission standards laid down by the government of India,” he stressed.
