STA Delegates Power to Issue Special Permits for Interstate Operations by Stage and Contract Carriages to RTOs

Bhubaneswar: The State Transport Authority (STA), Odisha has delegated the power to issue special permits for interstate operations by stage/contract carriages to RTO.

An order in this regarded has been issued by the STA today.

“At present, the special permits to public service vehicles (stage/contract carriages) issued by STA under section 88(8) of MV Act 1988. As per statute, STA or RTA can grant special permit. It is noticed that bus owners and their representatives are rushing to STA daily to get special permits for interstate operation. In view of prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, it has become necessary to reduce the gathering in STA’, the order reads.

Steps have been initiated to make the process of application and issue of special permit online in VAHAN application, so that bus owners can apply and take print out of special permit at their place of convenience without visiting STA or RTA. The new online system will be rolled out shortly.

Considering volume of rush of stake holders in STA to get special permit of interstate operation and taking into account situation arising out of COVID-19, it is ordered that hence forth, application for special permit for interstate operation will be filed at the RTO counter, the STA said.

The RTOs will issue the special permit in the same day as far as possible. This delegation will continue till the online issue of such permit is developed in VAHAN application, it added.

Instructions has been issued earlier to issue special permit up to 150 days during the year 2020 till December 31.. Application for special permit will not be received or processed at STA.