Exempt city buses from excise duties: Jaipal Reddy
Thursday, 04 December 2008, 20:30 IST
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New Delhi: Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy Wednesday aid excise duty on public buses should be abolished to revive the public transport system in India. "There should be full exemption of the excise duty on the buses and the state government should also follow suit. At present there is a 12 percent excise duty, which was reduced from 16 percent," the minister said at a business meet here. "We have submitted a proposal for reducing the excise duty on buses meant for public transportation to zero level to the finance ministry," he said. Most of the cities do not have an organised city bus service, said Reddy, adding that the movement of goods and people has been facing several problems of congestion, pollution and accidents, coupled with lack of coordination among various agencies. Reddy said the government had approved a comprehensive national urban transport policy, which "focuses on returning the roads to the people, which have been colonised by the vehicles".
Source: IANS
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