Sikkim- West Bengal Reciprocal Transport Agreement

July 9, 2022

Sikkim and West Bengal recently agreed for a new Reciprocal Transport Agreement (2022), highlighting the problems with previous 2007 agreement.

Background

2007 agreement had provided permits for only Gangtok, Pelling & Namchi districts in Sikkim and Kalimpong, Siliguri & Darjeeling districts in West Bengal. This was problematic for transporters of both the states.
In the 2007 agreement for goods carriages, different quotas were fixed for Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and All Bengal Permit.
Sikkim transporters were also required to get two counter signature permits from Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts.
As a result, transport associations of Sikkim demanded to merge all the quotas and to issue permits from a single point of State Transport Authority office in Siliguri.

New Reciprocal Transport Agreement (2022)

Demands of the transporters, from West Bengal and Sikkim, have been fulfilled after 15 years.
The new agreement will include ‘All Bengal’ and ‘All Sikkim’ permit.
“All Bengal Permit” and “All Sikkim Permit” will be issued under 2022 agreement.
Though, it does not include restricted and protected areas.
Local tour operators of both the states will help in local sightseeing.
As per new agreement, Counter Signature Permits will be given from a single point of State Transport Authority in Siliguri. Thus, transporters are not required to go to Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri separately.

Corridor facility for Sikkim-based commercial vehicles

Commercial vehicles running between Gangtok and Jorethang in South Sikkim crosses a part of the route in West Bengal. Vehicles running between Rangpo and Melli faces difficulties in case they don’t have counter signature permits. Thus, under new agreement, government of West Bengal has agreed to provide a “corridor facility” for Sikkim-based vehicles without Counter Signature Permits”, running between Rangpo and Melli in West Bengal.

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