Pool car operators in the city will not be able to ply without the necessary permits from now on,said the state transport department today. Following a meeting with pool car owners,state Transport Minister Ranjit Kundu said the state government would not allow cars not having proper route permits to drive around with students. Pool car owners met the minister at the Writers Buildings today after they withdrew their decision for an indefinite strike to protest the drive against illegal pool cars. In 2007,a meeting was held between pool car owners and the government where they were asked to obtain route permits. But nothing much has been done. Now,we have told pool car owners we would sit and talk if they call off their strike, said Kundu. At the meeting today,the transport department said only those pool car operators who have vehicles post-2000 can apply for permits. They have also been asked to stick papers on their vehicles displaying information on the school children they are carrying,name of the particular school and phone numbers. The vehicles will have to be driven by drivers having an experience of not less than five years. A helper and a first-aid box are mandatory. The list of guidelines we have been asked to abide by is nothing new. We will see how much of those can be implemented actually. We had already said many of us had applied for permits but had not received them because of administrative loopholes. However,we would sit tomorrow with the director of Public Vehicles Department (PVD) to discuss the matter further, said Abir Roy,secretary,Pool Car Owners Welfare Association.
