Subhas offers package to phase out old taxis

Kolkata: Following the Calcutta High Court order to phase out taxis that are more than 15 years old by March 31 this year, Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty on Tuesday announced a new package that includes waiving excise duty on new cars to be bought by the affected taxi owners.
The minister said he was confident that the state Government would be able to implement the HC order.
According to Chakraborty, a taxi owner will get Rs 45,000 as scrap value from the vehicle manufacturer. The excise duty of Rs 23,000 will be relieved as the Union government has agreed to the proposal from the state government.
Apart from this, the state government will give every taxi owner Rs 20,000 for surrendering his old taxi.
Rest of the amount will be provided through bank loans, said Chakraborty, adding that the government would hold talks with banks to finalise loans for the affected taxi owners.
The transport department has also decided to launch 1,200 new buses for a pollution-free city. Chakraborty said these would include 80 Volvo buses that will ply in and around the city on a joint venture basis.
“The government will buy these buses and will tie up with interested parties that want to work on a joint venture basis,” said the transport minister.
“After one year, everyone will see a new transport system in the city,” Chakraborty added