Intercity buses on Haldwani–Rudrapur route running under 40% full; union seeks halt to new permits and removal of Magic, Eco vans from DD Chowk bus stand

Intercity buses on the Haldwani–Rudrapur and Haldwani–Kichha routes are running short of passengers. H.B. Tiwari, patron of the Intercity Bus Union, Haldwani, said in a press release on Saturday that with several industries moving out of the SIDCUL area and fewer employees, average bus occupancy has fallen below 40 per cent. Private intercity buses as well as Uttarakhand and UP transport corporation buses are suffering heavy losses, and average running has shrunk to just 2,400 km per vehicle a month. According to the union, the lack of proper bus parking in Haldwani and Rudrapur means operators keep paying no-parking penalties. At the designated bus stand at DD Chowk in Rudrapur, illegal occupation by vehicles such as Magic and Eco vans in the name of taxis leads to disputes almost every day. The union has demanded that these vehicles be removed at once, that parking be arranged, and that no new route permits be issued on these routes until the problems are solved. (Source: Hindustan)