New Delhi, Aug. 12 -- A new national framework for bus transport that starts with replacing the All India Tourist Permit with an All India Passenger Permit, followed by a national system for bus terminals, a National Bus Digital Grid, stronger operator-level safety checks, a fleet transition to newer and electric buses, dedicated services run by women and a separate budgetary provision for public transport infrastructure has been proposed by a parliamentary standing committee report. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, headed by Janata Dal (United) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, made the recommendations in its 392nd report on bus transport, presented in the Rajya Sabha and tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. A major recommendation is a dedicated National Bus Terminals Authority, modelled on the Airports Authority of India. It wants terminal ownership separated from bus operations and a non-discriminatory access framework based on the Kashmere Gate terminal. Gurgaon and Katra have been proposed as templates for developing terminals, while a National Code for Bus Terminals should be framed within a year. The report advocates for a separate budgetary provision for public passenger transport infrastructure. This would cover terminals, bus bays, depots, charging and testing infrastructure and passenger amenities. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been asked within six months to state its position on applying around 25% of the road allocation to public transport infrastructure. The panel recommended replacing the All India Tourist Permit with an All India Passenger Permit within a year. The new permit should be issued by the state where the vehicle was first registered. Its rights, including where passengers can board and alight, should be clearly stated on the permit....