PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
City bus union appealed to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to initiate a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) or Vigilance into the alleged irregularities within the Transport department, in order to protect the State’s reputation. The union made this demand on Wednesday during a protest at Lansdowne Chowk Parade Ground, where they accused the Transport department of failing to comply with High Court orders. In addition to the protest, they submitted a memorandum to the CM regarding the non-compliance of the Transport department and called for action.
The president of the union, Vijay Vardhan Dandriyal, stated that on September 3, 2025, the HC issued an order indicating that permits for vehicles with a single door would not be renewed and the validity of existing permits would be determined at the time of final hearing. However, he said that permits are currently being renewed by the RTO Dehradun, which is a contempt of the HC’s order.
Further, Dandriyal pointed out that the said Court also defined the role of a conductor in its order dated September 23, 2025. According to this definition, a conductor is expected to collect fares from passengers and regulate their entry and exit. However, the Tata Magic vehicle does not have a designated seating position for the conductor, nor does it allow the conductor to stand and manage passenger flow at entry and exit points. Dandriyal emphasised that the RTO has failed to comply with this order as well.
He also expressed concerns that eight to 10-seater Tata Magic vehicles/Omni buses have been improperly classified as city buses, receiving stage carriage bus permits from the Transport department. According to the Central Motor Vehicles Act of 1989, the Bus Body Code only applies to buses with a capacity of 13 or more passengers. Initially, the RTO Dehradun issued a Maxi Cab permit for the eight to 10-seater Tata Magic, but later reclassified it to include Omni Bus.
He added that if the Transport department continues to protect these Tata Magic vehicles despite these discrepancies, it raises suspicions of corruption. Dandriyal warned that if immediate action is not taken against the said issues, the Union will escalate its protests.
