Jaipur: Private bus operators have opposed an additional tax on stage carriage buses, saying it will raise hiring costs for wedding functions as the wedding season approaches.Operators said the transport department has charged a temporary tax of Rs 600 a day and a Rs 38 surcharge on buses operating under stage carriage permits since July 30, in addition to the monthly tax already paid.Around 4,877 buses in Rajasthan, including nearly 1,378 in Jaipur, operate under the stage carriage system, according to operators. They pay a monthly tax of Rs 210 per seat and a 6.25% surcharge. Buses operating on nationalised or notified routes also require a trip permit, carrying a prescribed fee of Rs 200.Kailash Chand Sharma, president of the Private Bus Operator Association, Stage Carriage, Jaipur, said the additional daily levy would ultimately be passed on to customers hiring buses for weddings and other functions. He also questioned the basis for imposing the additional tax, saying it was being collected without approval from the finance department or a fresh notification from the transport department.The association has sought clarification from the department on the additional levy and its applicability to buses already paying monthly tax. They have also written to the Transport Department seeking a formal order or notification authorising the revised tax collection.
