BENGALURU: The Transport Department is considering cancelling the permit given to app-based mini-bus aggregator ZipGo for violating transport norms. Four of ZipGo’s vehicles were booked on Tuesday during an enforcement drive.
Transport Commissioner Rame Gowda told Express that despite repeated warnings, ZipGo has continued to violate norms. “If they want to run shuttle service, they should register as stage carriers and get route permits. But they are not doing so. After Tuesday’s violations, we are thinking of cancelling their permit,” he said.
ZipGo, a start-up that introduced app-based aggregator shuttle bus service in the city in August, has been in the cross hairs of the department for violating norms many times.
ZipGo entered the scene by launching shuttle bus services for a fixed price of Rs 29 during peak hours between select destinations in the IT corridor.
Narendra Holkar, Joint Commissioner, Transport, said, “ZipGo had suspended operations on September 19 after five of its buses were seized and booked for violating contract carriage norms. On Tuesday, we booked four maxi cabs again for the same violations.”
Rame Gowda said, “We booked the vehicles registered with ZipGo in September as they had contract carrier permit but were plying as stage carriers on routes meant for BMTC buses.” The company was dragged to court and had to pay fines ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 for the seized vehicles, which were later returned to the owners. After this, ZipGo suspended its operations.
However, it resumed services on the sly and started plying vehicles illegally. When contacted, Jitender Sharma, co-founder of ZipGo, refused to comment on the matter.