Thousands of passengers in western UP districts had to face the wrath of the drivers who went on strike on Monday to protest against the increase in jail term in the hit and run cases.
The drivers of both the trucks and buses went on strike to oppose the new Motor Vehicle Act on the first day of the year and as such passengers remained stranded.
In Meerut, the strike hit the transportation of goods as over 10,000 trucks here did not leave for their respective destinations.
The Transport Association of Meerut which has more than 1,500 transport agencies as members, also came out in support of these drivers. Association’s president Gaurav Sharma and other officials visited the transporters who were loading goods in violation of strike. “We requested those transporters and drivers to show their solidarity,” said Sharma.
Meanwhile, truck drivers also sat on dharna and Sharma said that a delegation of transporters and drivers will meet the district magistrate on Tuesday to handover the memorandum. “We will decide strategy later and it may also be an indefinite strike,” said Sharma.
The drivers of roadways buses also abstained from their duties. Acting regional manager of Roadways in Meerut Lokesh Rajput said that drivers of more than 225 contract buses declared to go on strike against amendment in the motor vehicle act on Monday morning and they also stopped roadways bus drivers from performing their duties.
{{/usCountry}}The drivers of roadways buses also abstained from their duties. Acting regional manager of Roadways in Meerut Lokesh Rajput said that drivers of more than 225 contract buses declared to go on strike against amendment in the motor vehicle act on Monday morning and they also stopped roadways bus drivers from performing their duties.
{{/usCountry}}He said, “We somehow managed to depart a few buses with passengers, but the protestors stopped them on the highways and did allow the vehicles to go further.”
Meerut has two depots of roadways buses which ply approximately 225 contract buses and 250 state owned buses with daily passenger load of 1.20 lakh to 1.30 lakh.
The strike led to difficulties for thousands of passengers who didn’t find the means to reach their destinations.
The amendment in the new vehicle act has made provision of ₹7 lakh fine and 10 year imprisonment in hit and run case and drivers are opposing it.
Sharma asked how a driver can pay such a big amount as fine and 10 years in jail will ruin his entire family. He said the law will also be the same for all including those who would be driving their private vehicles.
Strike affects Agra and Aligarh division
First day of the new year saw road jams and very few buses moved out from bus stations of UPSRTC in districts of Agra and Aligarh divisions on Monday.
“The latest law in hit and run cases is to cause huge hardship to drivers of vehicles and can be termed as black law. The drivers driving UPSRTC buses have joined the strike and very less number of roadways buses have moved out of bus stations,” said Pramod Kumar Srivastava, employee union leader of UP State Road Transport Corporation.
UPSRTC bus operations was much affected with only 20 to 25 percent of the total buses allowed to ply. Buses remained parked at Inter State Bus Terminus, Idgah Bus stand, Bijlighar bus station in Agra on Monday.
Passengers who had no clue about the strike were seen queuing up at the enquiry counters. Many of the staff at state government offices including tehsil and sub-registrar office in Agra could not reach their work places because of non-availability of buses.
Passengers were found waiting at roadways bus station in Etah district. There were long queues at Maya Palace crossing in Etah.