SME Times News Bureau | 27 May, 2010
Punjab Wednesday became the first state in the country to launch online national permits for trucks and other heavy vehicles.
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal handed over permits to truck operators within minutes of their filing applications in Patiala town, 70 km from Chandigarh.
Launching the new facility, Badal said: "Punjabi transporters are the backbone of the country’s transport system and it was the primary duty of the government to solve their problems on priority. I am myself from a family of transporters and can understand the problems faced by transport operators."
Badal said that obtaining the national permit was a cumbersome and costly process with transporters being forced to shell out Rs.3,000 per state every year for the permit.
He added: "A meagre cost of Rs.15,000 will give freedom to the truck operators to operate their trucks from Kashmir to Kanyakumari without any additional tax."
Badal also launched a unique SMS service for truck operators. This 24x7 SMS service would come to the aid of any truck operator who has been illegally stopped by any state authority. An SMS by any truck operator would elicit an immediate reply from the Punjab transport department, confirming the authenticity of the truck permit.
