Transport union calls for day-long nationwide strike against new bill

The national level road transport organisations have jointly called for a nation-wide day-long strike that began midnight last night in protest against the proposed new road transport bill.

The strike has been called jointly by both public and private sector workers which are affiliated to central trade unions like All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), BMS, INTUC, HMS, AICCTU, LPF and state-level outfits. In the proposed bill, hefty fines have been proposed for minor traffic violation. "They have forcefully put a GPS system which costs us Rs. 3,000. And, they have decided fine of Rs. 5000 for disobeying traffic rules which is very unfair," said an auto-driver, Raju.

"We are holding strike against the unfair laws they are being imposed on us," said another auto-driver, Lal Babu. "They are raising fine from Rs. 100 to Rs. 3000-5000 for jumping traffic signals. The fair decided by them is not acceptable. The pre-paid fairs are also not good. We are poor people, where will we go? They are now restricting 15 year old vehicles also," said a taxi driver, Dev Kumar.

In the national capital, number of transport sector unions, including Delhi Auto-rickshaw Sangh and Delhi Pradesh Taxi Union and a section of DTC employees are extending their support to the strike.

However, the Delhi Government has assured the strike will not affect the transport sector and the usual number of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses will ply on the roads.