12 July,2011 06:41 AM IST | | Parth Satam
TV on AC buses betweenu00a0Pune and Mumbai kept switched off as MSRTC not sure if entertainment tax is applicable
Passengers using the Shivneri Volvo bus service between the city and Mumbai are in for a tedious journey, notwithstanding the additional Rs 50 they have to shell out in ticket fares. Television sets installed on the buses remain switched off, as officials of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) are unclear if entertainment tax can be applied to buses showing movies.
Boring journey: Officials say chances of reviving movie shows in the
buses are slim because of financial constraints. File Pic
"Television was shown in the buses until two years ago. But when the corporation was posed with the possibility of paying entertainment tax, the service was discontinued. No decision has been made till date and the head office in Mumbai is yet to take a decision. In any case, we used to play regular movies or music videos and the tax amount is also negligible", said an MSRTC official on condition of anonymity.
Another official said that TV sets are installed in almost all the buses and if played in one, commuters will demand that all buses should have the facility. "This will be injustice to other customers. Plus, if all buses play the television sets, the tax amount will be increased. Chances of reviving the facility are slim since the corporation's financial status is not good on account of the recent expansion," said another senior official requesting anonymity.
Officials were not willing to come on record since the decision lies with the MSRTC top management in Mumbai.
About 36 buses ply to Mumbai from Swargate and Pune station bus depot with two trips each and almost all buses have television sets. Some of the older buses had mini LCD TVs. This was when Shivneri was first started a few years ago, but now they have been removed. The newer buses have small television sets, which are always switched off.
The staff cited "higher orders" when asked the reason behind the television sets kept switched off.
MSRTC Managing Director Deepak Kapoor could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
