Heavy opposition to increased special road tax on commercial vehicles in Himachal

The Newz Radar

Shimla: Taxi operators staged a protest outside the Transport Department in Shimla on Tuesday, threatening traffic jams if the government does not reconsider the significant hike in special road tax (SRT) for commercial vehicles.

The Joint Action Committee of All Himachal Commercial Vehicle Operators expressed strong disagreement with the revised notification, which raised SRT for taxis from Rs 1350 to Rs 8000.

The committee chairman, Rajendra Thakur, highlighted the adverse impact on tourism businesses in Himachal Pradesh and criticized the government for imposing hefty taxes on local taxi operators while providing exemptions to external vehicles.

Thakur revealed that objections were submitted in writing by taxi operators to the Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Director in response to the draft notification issued in November.

Despite these objections, the government proceeded to issue a notification on January 20, increasing SRT for taxis by up to six times. Thakur warned that if the decision is not revoked, taxi drivers will submit their keys to the RTA office, leading to widespread traffic disruptions in the coming days.

In response, Anupam Kashyap, the Director of the Transport Department, stated that the department had issued a revised notification on road tax, excluding two categories—Contract Carriage Under Agreement in Himachal and Vanity Vans—from any tax increase. Kashyap advised taxi operators to engage with department officials for further clarification, emphasizing that their opposition was not justified.