Over 2 lakh vehicles might be off roads due to transport strike in Delhi

The United Front of Transport Associations (UFTA) has called the strike and is demanding the review of the steep fines under the new MV act.

More than two lakh private vehicles, including autos and cluster buses, are likely to be off roads on Thursday because of a protest strike against the various provisions of the amended Motor Vehicles (MV) Act.

Transport associations have called a one-day strike on September 19 in Delhi-NCR to protest against the heavy penalties under the amended MV Act. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

The United Front of Transport Associations (UFTA) has called the strike and is demanding the review of the steep fines under the new MV act. It has stated that no private commercial vehicle will run on Delhi roads from 6 am to 9.30 pm on Thursday.

UFTA claimed 1,704 cluster (orange coloured) buses in Delhi, run by private operators, will not ply on Thursday. Moreover, a big section of the 138,000 registered cabs, 3,700 gramin sewa vehicles in the suburban areas, and 95,000 autos might also be off the roads, affecting the daily commuters and office goers the most.

Commercial activities are also likely to be affected with trucks also being part of the transport strike. Around 90,000 trucks ply in the Capital.

The 3,750 buses run by Delhi Transport Corporation and the Delhi Metro will run as usual but feeder transport services may be affected.

Neighbouring Noida, which has at least 40,000 commercial vehicles, is also likely to be affected as many transport unions have joined the protest.

The government passed the amended MV Act in the last session of Parliament, raising penalties in some traffic offences by as much as tenfold. The new penalties came into effect on September 1 but several governments, including Delhi, are yet to notify the new rates.