Bus owners' union warns State against operating Imphal-Kakching MST bus
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 12 2025: The Indo-Burma Sugnu Road Bus Owners' Welfare Union (IBSRBOWU) has warned that its members will surrender their buses to the Transport department if the Government operates Manipur State Transport (MST) buses on the Imphal-Kakching road.

Speaking to the media at IBSRBOWU at Governor Road today, Thounaojam Radheshyam, general secretary of the union, said they had received credible information from the Transport department that an MST bus would start operating from Keishampat bus parking to Kakching.

It would be very unfortunate if an MST bus starts operating on this route, as numerous passenger buses are already plying on it daily from 5.30 am to 5 pm according to the timetable set by the Transport authority," he added.

He also mentioned that 22 passenger buses registered to the union currently operate on the Imphal-Kakching route, apart from other buses that ply on routes such as Imphal-Chandel, Imphal-Serou, Imphal-Sugnu, and Imphal-Chakpikarong.

Stating that IBSRBOWU is the apex body of six registered associations, Radheshyam added that they station five time-keepers at parking areas to ensure every bus operates on schedule.

He further stated that MST buses were introduced on October 9, 2023, from Kakching Lamkhai along the route as a student bus service, and they faced serious inconveniences after the Government buses started transporting passengers as well.

Saying that they had been urging the Transport authorities to cancel the student bus services due to schedule conflicts with buses operating under the union, he added that the union's buses have also been providing benefits to students.

Introducing an MST bus on the Imphal-Kakching route would heighten competition among bus drivers to pick up more passengers, thereby increasing the risk of accidents, he said.

Radheshyam said they would surrender their buses to the Transport department by driving them there if an MST bus starts operating on the route.

Saying that passenger bus services had been severely impacted since the COVID pandemic and the subsequent crises, and were only just starting to operate somewhat normally, he added that the Transport department, however, collects Rs 50 daily from passenger vehicles for fitness tests.

He stated that the union had already filed a petition before the Manipur High Court to stop collecting this fee from passenger vehicles.

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