The truckers in Haryana withdrew their strike on Wednesday after chief minister ML Khattar gave them one year’s time to get their vehicles modified as per the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989.
The decision came after a delegation of truckers held a meeting with Khattar, which was also attended by transport minister Ram Bilas Sharma, principal secretary (transport) Avtar Singh and transport commissioner Ashok Khemka, among others.
However, the truckers have been asked to give a `2 lakh surety bond for each large-size vehicle at the time of getting its annual fitness certificate till January, 2016, with the commitment that its body would be modified as per the norms before its next annual passing. There are about 40,000 such trucks registered with the state government, according to truckers’ associations.
The truckers had gone on strike since Tuesday in protest against the denial of fitness certificate to large trucks (containers) used for ferrying vehicles and heavy machines manufactured in the state. Most of them were associated with the automobile sector, especially automobile plants of Honda Motorcycles and Scooter India (HMSI), Hero Motorcorp, Maruti Suzuki in Gurgaon and other industries in Faridabad.
The truckers’ associations protested the recent directive issued by Khemka asking them to correct the size of the long-body trailers (containers) and conform to the CMVR, 1989.
{{/usCountry}}The truckers’ associations protested the recent directive issued by Khemka asking them to correct the size of the long-body trailers (containers) and conform to the CMVR, 1989.
{{/usCountry}}In 2012 too, the truckers had been asked by the state government to conform to the prescribed dimensions for their vehicles and given one year relaxation till 2013.
All India Motor Transport Congress president Bhim Wadhwa and All Faridabad Transport Association president Suresh Kumar Sharma told HT that Khattar had assured truckers that their vehicles would not be challaned till January 2016, but no vehicle would be given annual fitness certificate if found not conforming the norms.
The truckers have also been asked to give `2 lakh surety bond at the time of taking fitness certificate for each vehicle till January, 2016, Sharma said.